Yero
by Rose DiVerona
Summary: Wicked, from Fiyero's POV. We know what Elphaba's experiences were, but what was it like from the view of our favorite Winkie Prince? Covers the musical from Fiyero's entrance, with extra scenes as well.
1. Here We Are, Sir

A/N: Yes, stupid me is starting another fanfic! I don't expect it to be too long, but you never know with these kinds of things. Basically, it's Wicked from Fiyero's POV. It will cover events in the musical, as well as some scenes we don't get to see, and may become a little AU, depending on where I feel the muse taking me. No songs. This is something new for me, because even though I've done Fiyero one-shots before, I usually make Elphaba my story focus. Updates will come as often as possible, but my other two fics take precendence over this one, so I'm not making any promises.

Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked, but I do own two tickets to see it in New York on March 14th!

* * *

**Here We Are, Sir - Shiz University**

I stared skeptically up at the school in front of me. Brick, ivy-covered walls, courtyard with a flower garden overlooked by a statue of the founder…yep, your typical university. It certainly didn't look any different from anything I'd ever seen before.

Shiz University. The thing that interested me most about it was its distance away from my home. Home being, of course, the Vinkus. My kingdom, eventually, if I didn't just die of _boredom_ at school before then.

"This is it?" I asked my manservant, Avaric.

He nodded. "Yes, sir." He climbed out of the car, pulling my luggage with him.

"Well, don't worry. I won't last longer at this school than I did at any of the others." I joked.

Avaric smiled appreciatively. "I'll send your belongings up to your room for you, sir."

"Well, goodbye then." I said to him. There wasn't anyone nearby, so I held out my hand and he slapped it, and we knocked fists before I turned away to look for the head's office.

I'd heard about Madame Morrible, the headmistress of Shiz. She sounded like your normal fussy old hag, not unlike my former heads. In time, I'd either ground them to tears or aggravated them with my stubborn resistance to education so much that they suggested I find 'another outlet through which to put my unwillingness to learn' – and expelled me.

Madame Morrible didn't seem much different, at first. I found her office easily enough, and she ushered me inside and poured some tea, apparently beside herself at the opportunity to not only meet, but teach, a real prince.

"So, Mr. Tiggular – is that how I should address you? – welcome to Shiz University. Let me be the first to assure you that we have nothing but the highest hopes for your continued education here…" Blah, blah, blah.

She pulled out my former school record and as her eyes skimmed it, I kept expecting them to widen with shock at my numerous expulsions. But when she replaced the paper, she was still smiling. It was eerie.

"Well, everything appears to be in order. I hope you enjoy your time here at Shiz. You know where your room is, correct? Good. I urge you to go and explore the campus, young man."

I left. This headmistress seemed…different than the others. Different wasn't good. I sighed and glanced down at my schedule. Supposedly, I had history now. Of course, it would be helpful if I knew where the heck the lecture hall was…

I glanced around to see if there was anyone in the courtyard who might be able to help me. There were a few students milling about. I zeroed in on a pretty blonde who appeared to be doing her best to ignore a chattering boy, either a short Gillikin or a tall Munchkin. As if she sensed me watching, her blue eyes met mine and she flashed a bright smile, tugging on the boy's sleeve. He glanced over, unimpressed. I decided the girl, at least, seemed friendly, so I sauntered in their direction. She reacted, flipping her hair flirtatiously.

"Were you looking for something or…someone?" she trilled, batting her eyes.

I whipped out my schedule. "Uh…yeah, some sort of history class, or something?" I shrugged to assure her I wasn't_ that_ interested in the location of said class.

The Munchkin, for it was clear what he was up close, jumped in helpfully. "The history building is way over there, my friend."

"Oh, don't be rude." The girl chided him. She turned to me brightly. "We were just in that class, it's over. I'm Galinda Upland, of the Upperuplands…and this is Biq." She waved her hand dismissively in the Munchkin's direction.

"It's Boq," Boq corrected automatically.

I extended a hand. "I'm-"

"Oh, don't be silly, I know who you are!" she giggled, squeezing my fingers. "Prince Fiyero Tiggular, of the Vinkus. Should I call you Your Highness?"

I felt my face redden. "No, just Fiyero, please, Miss Galinda."

"You can call me Galinda."

"Great. So, uh, what does one do for fun around here?" I asked casually.

Boq managed to get between Galinda and I again. "We've been studying!"

Galinda gave an exaggerated sigh and rolled her eyes at me.

I grinned. "Well, I see that once again the responsibility to corrupt my fellow students falls to me. Fortunately, I'm up for the task."

"Ooh, sounds like fun!" Galinda squealed.

"Loads," Boq muttered. Galinda poked him.

"What's the most swankified place in town?" I asked.

"That would be the Ozdust Ballroom," Galinda said, curls bouncing. "Incidentally, there's a school dance there tonight."

"Sounds perfect. Pick you up around eight?"

Her smile widened. "That would be wonderful."

"Um, Miss Galinda?" Boq asked tentatively. "I was wondering…would you save a dance for me? I'll be right there waiting for you, all night."

"Oh, how kind! But…do you know what would be even kinder?" Galinda asked, plainly thinking fast about what, in fact, would be 'even kinder'. Her face lit up, and she nodded toward a pretty younger girl in a wheelchair not far away. "See that tragically beautiful girl? The one in the chair?"

"Miss Nessarose?" Boq asked, nonplussed.

"Yes, her. It's so unfair that we get to go to the dance, but she doesn't. I know _someone_," she gave Boq a pointed look, "would be my hero if he would invite her."

"I could do it!" Boq exclaimed, practically falling over himself in his eagerness. It was somewhat pathetic.

"Oh, Biq, you would do that for me?" Galinda asked, feigning excitement.

"I would do anything for you, Miss Galinda!" Without a further glance in my direction, Boq hurried to the girl in the wheelchair, Nessarose, and began to wheel her away. "Miss Nessarose, there's something I'd like to ask you…"

Galinda turned triumphantly back to me. "Where were we?"

"We were discussing me taking you to the dance tonight."

"Oh, yes. You'll pick me up?"

"I can't wait."

She flashed a smile over her shoulder as she skipped away, joined halfway across the courtyard by a flutter of other girls in similar gowns. By the way they assimilated naturally around her, she was obviously the leader.

I turned away to find my dormitory, but not before I spotted another student skulking in the corner. Long black hair in a braid lashed out as the figure dived into the shadows, but not quickly enough to stop me seeing something I decided must have been a trick of the light.

Green skin.

* * *

A/N: Just a little introduction, obviously a recognizable scene. Let me know if I should continue this! 


	2. People Come and Go So Quickly

A/N: Second chapter! Sorry for the long delay...I can't say I was too busy, because I really haven't been. Just writer's block. Maybe it was worth it, because I'm happy with the way this chapter turned out.

I can't think of a good permanent title for the story, so if anyone has suggestions I would be glad to consider them!

* * *

**People Come and Go So Quickly**

I found the dormitory fairly easily; it was lunchtime, and many of the other students were returning to their rooms to exchange books for their afternoon classes. I followed the boys, and thus found Room B-28. There was a key in the envelope Madame Morrible had given me, and I inserted it into the lock and let myself in.

The room was unoccupied. For one hopeful moment, I thought I did not have a roommate, but then I noticed the unmade bed by the window and my heart sank.

_Please_ _let_ _him not be_ _like my last roommate…_ I thought fervently. At the last university I'd attended, my roommate had been a Quadling called Quirt. He was a disgusting individual who reveled in filth. I'd actually _tried _to get expelled just so I could get away from him.

My luggage sat beside the bed nearer to the door. I sat on the mattress, finding it comfortable if somewhat stiff.

So. Barely at the school for fifteen minutes, and I already had a date to a dance, and probably a girlfriend, too. Galinda was exactly like all the other girls I'd ever dated. I'm used to the blondes, the brunettes, the redheads all fawning over me. And what kind of guy would I be if I didn't like all the attention? But sometimes I couldn't help but think that there had to be something _more_.

I shook my head to clear it. What would Avaric say if he knew what I'd just been thinking? Even though Avaric was technically my servant, because of my elevated status as prince, I hadn't had the opportunity to make many friends, and he was also my closest companion. To Avaric, there was nothing more to life than catching the eye of cute girls. Not like he had much else going for him anyways…

The door suddenly opened, and I jumped. A medium-height Gillikin with a mop of sandy hair stepped inside. He jumped as well when he saw me sitting on the spare bed, and then smiled sheepishly.

"You must be my new roomie," he extended a hand. I shook it. "Fiyero Tiggular?"

"That's me. You are-?"

"Barim Cuddher, Upperupland born and bred."

The place triggered a memory. "Do you know Galinda Upland?"

Barim laughed as he dropped his books on his bed and began searching under it. His reply was muffled. "Who _doesn't_?" He emerged clutching a large blue tome, which he stuck in his bag. "But I know what you mean. Yeah, we grew up together. Why?"

I shrugged. "Just wondering." I hesitated, wondering how to follow up. "Are you going to the dance tonight?"

His brow crinkled. "So you heard about that. Well, sorry, pal, but I've already got a date."

I nearly choked, sputtering through a protest before I realized he had been teasing me. The ice broken, we both laughed as I explained how I had ended up asking Galinda to the gathering.

"Well, looks like you and I will be hanging with the same crowd. I'm dating Pfanee Lestair, one of Galinda's 'ladies-in-waiting,'" Barim explained as we made our way to lunch.

We ate with a couple other guys Barim introduced as Crope and Tibbett. I found I liked all three of them. They were laid-back and funny, and they seemed to like me, too. The girls, Barim explained, would usually eat with us as well, but because it was such an important day, they would be getting ready for the rest of the afternoon.

This was obviously the "popular" table. Throughout the meal, students from other tables slowly gravitated over to pass along some bit of gossip or listen to one of Barim's funny stories. They came and went so quickly I only caught a few names. But I already knew I had been officially accepted into the group. If not my fame as prince, then my date with Galinda had cemented that.

The bell for afternoon classes rang too soon. Groaning, students began to disperse to the various buildings scattered around the grounds. My lunchmates didn't seem to be in any hurry, so I didn't hurry, either.

"You're lucky," Crope remarked to me as we followed the other two through the quiet hallways. "You can skip the rest of the day. New students never get penalized."

"Really? Great." And so it was that I found myself back in the courtyard under the statue of So-and-So McStoney. Or so I'd dubbed him. I lay back on an empty bench and closed my eyes, imagining the dance later on. I had been to dances before, naturally, but this one was sure to be the best. The closer you got to the Emerald City, the more cosmopolitan things got, and there was no university closer than Shiz.

The rustle of pages pulled me out of my semi-conscious state. Sitting up, I noticed for the first time that I wasn't the only person in the area after all. The bench on the other side of the statue was occupied by a tall, skinny figure with a long braid trailing down his/her back.

I cleared my throat, and the person jumped off the bench and turned to face me. It was the girl from before – the one with green skin. Her emerald hue shone even more noticeably in the sun. Judging by the startled look on her face, she hadn't noticed me before, either.

"Hi," I offered. Her eyes narrowed, and she gathered her things from the bench and marched off without a further glance my direction.

I blinked, unused to being ignored. Belatedly, I thought about running after her, but she had disappeared.

The next bell rang. As students began to pour out into the open, I spotted Galinda, buoyed along by several of her followers, including the Munchkin from earlier.

"Galinda!" I called, waving. Her face lit up, and the whole entourage altered its course and swept toward me.

"Fiyero!" she trilled, pecking me on the cheek. The action was rather forward since we'd barely known each other a few hours, but I shook it off. "How do you like Shiz so far?"

"I haven't been to any classes yet," I confessed. "But lunch was enjoyable."

"Did you sit with the guys?" A thin blonde asked. I knew immediately that she was Pfanee, because I was sure she meant her boyfriend and the other two.

"Yes. Barim's my roommate."

Pfanee giggled. "Well, good luck. He snores!" She and the other girls, except for Galinda, dissolved into giggles.

"Pfanee!" Galinda scolded. "That's hardly the way to introduce yourself to a prince!" She gave me an apologetic smile.

"Galinda, we have to go get ready!" another girl squealed.

"Oh, that's right! Forgive me, Fiyero. See you later?"

"I'll be there right on time," I promised.

She blew me a kiss and was swept away in a swirl of taffeta and glitter, leaving me behind with Boq.

"Hello again," I nodded at him.

He looked around, seemed to realize he was all alone with me, and scurried off.

"People come and go so quickly here," I mused.

* * *

A/N: Filler, of sorts. Crope and Tibbett are characters from Gregory Maguire's book for those of you who haven't read it, but no, they are not gay in my story. Just friends. I may add Barim (pronounced BEAR-im) into already-existing scenes because I like him. Review?


	3. The Ozdust Ballroom

A/N: Sorry, once again, for the wait. I have too many stories in-progress, and I don't know what to do now; so, unfortunately, the next chapter may not be up any quicker. Thanks for being patient.

On the plus-side, this is the longest chapter so far! I was going to split it up a little, but I decided to treat you all for the wait.

* * *

**The Ozdust Ballroom**

The rest of the day flew by in comparison with that first couple of hours. Before I knew it, the time had come to pick up Galinda and head to the Ballroom. As I made my way towards the female dormitories, I passed many other students all decked out in their best; ladies, some in giggling clusters, others hanging on the arms of their male consorts, and single guys, obviously hoping to impress and hopefully pick up a girl when they arrived. I got my fair share of batted eyelashes and swishing hips, and though I smiled widely back, I plunged onward through the crowds so I wouldn't get snagged.

Galinda's dormitory was A-14. I paused briefly outside, then knocked.

"Just a minute!" her high voice trilled brightly. Seconds later, the door opened just wide enough to admit my slender date, though she had to squeeze her fluffy pink skirt through. I wondered why she didn't just open the door further, but she shot a simpering smile over her shoulder suddenly, and I thought I heard a muffled voice follow. Then she shut the door and smiled up at me.

"Fiyero! Right on time. Ready to go?"

I nodded, offering her my arm, and we set off down the hall.

"You look beautiful, by the way," I said.

She smiled, displaying gleaming teeth.

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself."

I glanced back at the closed door. "Who _was_ that?" I asked curiously.

Galinda started. "Huh? Oh, _that_. Nothing. Just my roommate."

"Have I seen her before?"

She wrinkled her nose. "I doubt it. She tends to…lurk." She shook her head, her curls bouncing and the strong scent of strawberry perfume filling the space between us. "Let's not talk about her. Let's talk about-Pfanee!" I jumped at the sudden shout, and glanced ahead to see Pfanee and Barim, Pfanee practically hopping up and down and waving her arm off, while Barim stood calmly beside her.

The two girls squealed and ran to each other, and Galinda joined in the bouncing. Yipping and leaping all over the place like that with their hair and dresses, they reminded me of a pair of poodles.

Barim rolled his eyes good-naturedly at the two as I approached, grinning at me.

"Crope and Tibbett already left with some of the other girls, but there's a carriage waiting for us in the courtyard," he murmured. "Think we can herd these two that direction?"

I smirked. "No problem." I raised my voice to be heard over the chatter. "Galinda, Pfanee, we could stay here all night…but then no one would see how great you both look, would they?"

It was almost comical, how abrupt the bouncing stopped. Pfanee nearly fell over, and Galinda grabbed my arm and began pulling me down the hall.

"Come on, Fiyero! We can't be more than fashionably late to make a good impression!" I heard Barim and Pfanee behind us as we swept through the halls, ending up in the cool night air. A few party stragglers remained in the yard, and a carriage was pulled up to the curb. Barim directed us to it. I climbed in first, offering my hand to help Galinda step up. We sat facing the other couple, and the carriage set off.

Galinda didn't stop chattering the entire way, with the occasional interjection by Pfanee. Barim leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, but I stared hungrily out the window. I would never admit it to anyone, but I had never been this close to the Emerald City before. And I wanted to see everything.

The ride didn't take long, and when we reached downtown, the Ozdust Ballroom was instantly recognizable. It was a large, squat brick building facing a busy cosmopolitan street. A giant, neon green 'O' lit the entryway, through which young, college students were entering in droves. Flashing green lights snaked along the sidewalk curb.

I felt my jaw drop, only to notice that the other three were staring at me in amusement.

"Fiyero? Can we…uh, go in?" Barim asked.

I shook my head to clear it, realizing the carriage had stopped and it was time to get out. Barim climbed out first, lifting Pfanee down behind him. I stepped out shakily, remembering myself enough to offer Galinda my hands as she leapt lightly down and hooked her arm in mine.

"In we go!" she proclaimed cheerfully, and before I knew it I was being swept past the lights, and through the door into the ballroom.

The room was even bigger on the inside than it had seemed on the outside. The lighting was a cross between a soft purple and blue, and there were deep blue velvet drapes along the walls that sparkled enchantingly. The floor itself was polished wood and, judging by all the spinning couples in the center, perfect for turning in a dance. Along the wall, there were tables with five or six chairs each; though it was obvious moving objects around was popular, as one table had at least nine chairs circling it. A bar occupied one corner.

The people were everywhere – at the tables, at the bar, congregating in corners, and, most of all, dancing. The music was nice – it was a fast-paced song, but the tune wasn't blaring, and I could easily hear Galinda as she turned to me.

"So, what do you think, Your Highness?"

I grinned, overcoming my astonishment and feeling giddy with excitement. I held out my hand. "Let's dance."

The music took a loud crescendo, and she leaned closer, cupping a hand over her ear. "What?"

"Let's dance!" I shouted, pulling her onto the dance floor.

"You're an excellent dancer," Galinda said, halfway through the first dance.

I smiled. "I've had practice. As I see it, you can struggle your way through life – or you can dance your way through. I prefer to take the fun route."

"Dancing through life is fine with me!" Galinda giggled.

For the next hour, there was only music, dancing, and Galinda. She proved to be the type of girl who preferred to lead, which was fine with me. The other couples whirled around us, and the lights blurred and shimmered. I couldn't remember ever having as much fun in my life.

Finally, as yet another song ended, Galinda leaned close and spoke in my ear. "Let's get some punch."

I allowed her to lead me towards the bar. We had almost pushed our way to the front of the crowd when Galinda gasped.

"Madame Morrible!"

I spun to see our large headmistress heading toward us, beckoning to Galinda.

"Miss Upland! May I have a moment?"

She gave me a nervous look. "I'll be back, Fiyero." She hesitated as if waiting for a kiss, but I glanced at the waiting Madame, and compensated by squeezing her hand.

"I'll get the punch." I whispered. She nodded, taking a breath, and disappeared.

--

Moments later she returned, clutching a slender stick in her hand and looking somewhat dazed.

"What is it?" I asked, offering her a glass. She looked up at me, a frown creasing her brow.

"It's just that…well, I've wanted to specialize in sorcery since I first came to Shiz. But Madame Morrible always said no. Until tonight." She held up the stick, which I now saw was a training wand. "I…I got what I wanted." She said wonderingly.

I was confused. "Then what's the matter?"

She sighed. "Nothing…"

Trying to lighten the mood, I pecked her on the cheek and was relieved to see a small smile creep its way onto her face. "Good. Then let's dance."

The song was another fast one, but we had barely rejoined the throng when I sensed something had changed. Galinda, too, seemed to notice it, because her head snapped up, curls bouncing. The music died down suddenly, and whispers filtered through the room like ghosts. The crowd parted, and I saw what the commotion was.

It was a goddess. But no…it was only the green girl from before, clad, no less, in a simple blue frock and tall hat. Yet her skin glowed in the light, and I couldn't help but notice her willowy frame and the attractive shape of her face, attributes I had not seen earlier in the day.

"Oh no…" Galinda murmured.

For a ridiculous moment, I thought she feared she would lose me to this breathtaking newcomer, but then I awoke to reality; Galinda was blushing and averting her eyes from the figure, and everyone else had gone still, stifling laughter. No one seemed affected by the girl the way I was.

"Who in Oz is that?" I whispered.

"My roommate," Glinda muttered. "Please – don't stare!"

I didn't move. "How can you help it?"

The girl seemed uncertain; she removed the hat from her head, her eyes flicking through the crowd. Then they latched onto Galinda, and her mouth thinned. She placed the hat back onto her head, stood haughtily, and began dancing, alone and with no music.

It was an odd dance, like nothing I'd ever seen before. Her arms, long, green, slender limbs, went up over her head, rolled gracefully under, swirled in circular motions - strange...yet enchanting.

I realized I was standing dumbfounded like an idiot, and nudged Galinda in a belated attempt to seem more like everyone else. "Well, I'll say this – she doesn't give a twig about what anyone else thinks!"

To my surprise, Galinda looked upset. "Yes, she does. She just tries to hide it. Oh, I feel awful!"

I shrugged. "Why? It's not like it's your fault." _Is it? _I added mentally, recalling Galinda's fake smile back into her room earlier that night.

Galinda handed me her wand. "Would you excuse me?" She smoothed down her dress and stepped forward, tapping the lone dancer on the shoulder. "May I cut in?"

The girl stepped aside, folding her arms and giving Galinda a stern look. Galinda hesitated, then took a breath and rolled her arms up over her head and down under, clumsily copying the new dance.

"Galinda!" Pfanee hissed, scandalized.

But despite the whispers, Galinda didn't stop. And before long, the green girl joined back in. After a long pause, several other students stepped in, and, to my astonishment, soon the room was full of dancing individuals. Galinda broke out of the throng, seizing my hand and pulling me in to the middle.

"Fiyero, this is my roommate, Elphaba Thropp. Elphaba, Fiyero Tiggular."

Elphaba smiled shyly and extended her hand. "We meet again."

I grinned. "You're not going to run away this time?"

She blushed and shook her head.

"Again? This time? You two have met before?" Galinda squeaked disappointedly.

Elphaba and I laughed.

* * *

A/N: Hope I stayed relatively in-character. I always imagined Fiyero being attracted to Elphaba from the moment he first saw her; a love-at-first sight kind of deal. So this was my take on it. Review?


	4. Library Discussion

A/N: Yikes. I sincerely apologize for the long wait in updates...In my defense, finals came up, and then as soon as school was out, I left for an 18-day trip to Europe. So it took a while for me to bring myself to write another chapter. Especially as this one was an original scene.

But I hope you enjoy it, however belated it is.

* * *

**Library Discussion**

Over the following months, I felt myself find home at Shiz. I'd never stayed at any particular school for very long, but I was sure this one was different. Simply put, I was having fun. And not my usual, forget-about-work fun…I actually enjoyed classes. I can't pretend there wasn't a reason for this, though you can be sure I kept it well hidden.

It was Elphaba.

After the dance at the Ozdust, I saw a lot more of the green girl. Galinda told me the two of them hadn't been on good terms since they became roommates, but now she assured me they were the best of friends. Therefore, the three of us spent a lot of time together, often joined by Nessarose, the girl in the wheelchair and Elphaba's younger sister, and Boq, her now-boyfriend (who still eyed Galinda longingly). Elphaba didn't seem to mind being the fifth wheel; though on the rare occasion we were joined by Barim and Pfanee, or any number of "groupies," she made a point of being scarce. They didn't like her.

Elphaba was a fairly reserved person. In the time we all spent together, she didn't say much, allowing Galinda to steal the spotlight. A difficult job, considering Elphaba's stoplight-colored skin. It took me awhile to get used to it, but eventually I was able to look at her without noticing the odd attribute. To tell the truth, Elphaba didn't seem embarrassed of her unique verdigris, and she didn't draw much attention to it, so neither did any of us.

Still, I occasionally saw a more passionate side of my friend, particularly in life sciences and history, both subjects taught by the sole Animal professor at Shiz, a Goat called Dr. Dillamond. Elphaba was very fond of him, and in return he favored her. Dillamond seemed fond of drawing attention to the poor treatment of Animals in Oz, a subject which interested Elphaba greatly and was the one topic she was willing to talk in great length about to our circle of friends.

As time passed, I found myself become more attracted to my girlfriend's roommate. My first look at her at the dance had revealed a goddess – now, although she may have regularly appeared rather plain and simple, skin aside, I knew there was nothing "plain and simple" about her. She was different, but it was in a good way. Her long silences when asked a question never meant she didn't know what to say – they meant she was trying to think of the most insightful response she could possibly supply.

I felt my interest in Galinda waver. I couldn't understand why I didn't want to kiss her deeply, or grope her, or any of the number of things I'd done with similar pampered princesses. It definitely wasn't her fault – she clearly felt a passion for me I could never feel for her. But I didn't know _why_. I was perfect with Galinda; everyone said so, including her – including _Elphaba_. For some reason, from her, that comment seemed like an insult. Like I didn't _want_ to be perfect with Galinda.

Elphaba was different. I saw past the bony limbs, and the stick-straight hair, and the emerald skin. I saw a slender form, shining black hair, and a color that seemed right for Elphaba, because it set her apart in form as her mind set her apart intellectually.

_What was the matter with me?_

I found myself thinking thoughts I'd never thought before – heck, formerly, I'd barely done any thinking at all! I'd always known I wasn't stupid, but this...I drifted away from Barim, and grew distant with Galinda. I made excuses so that we wouldn't be alone together. I begged Elphaba to hang around even when the "posse" came over, so I would have someone to talk to. Not that Elphaba and I did much talking. Elphaba certainly wasn't a shy person, not with anyone else, but she was unusually quiet with me. And I held back with her.

I couldn't tell whether she liked me or not, though Galinda assured me she spoke most highly of me behind closed doors in their dorm.

"_Oh, yes, Elphaba says we're perfect together!"_

…and back to square one.

Still, Elphaba Thropp intrigued me, and even as I suppressed my growing feelings I longed for an opportunity to talk one-on-one, so I could evaluate what she _really _thought of me and whether there was any chance she harbored similar feelings to mine.

My chance came nearly four months after the dance at the Ozdust Ballroom. It was late afternoon, and I had a date with Galinda later in the evening. I was walking past the library on the way to my dorm when I spotted Elphaba through the window, seated alone as usual at a large table covered in books.

I hesitated, then veered to the left and entered the large space, muffled with shelf upon shelf of books. In my whole time at Shiz, I had never set foot in the library before. Slowly, I began to approach Elphaba, deciding at the last moment I'd better have a book in hand to provide an alibi for my location. Without looking, I snatched a random volume off an unoccupied table.

"Elphaba!" I greeted jovially. She looked up, blinking. "Fancy seeing you here."

Her brow furrowed. "Fiyero…I'm _always _here."

"Oh…right…I knew that," I said lamely.

She nodded slowly, looking at me like I was crazy. "Of course you did. The question is, what are _you _doing here?"

I pointed to an empty chair. "Can I sit?"

She shrugged. "Why not?"

_So far, so good…_

"Well, I was doing a bit of research," I said proudly, setting my book on the table. Elphaba glanced down at the title, then slowly looked up to meet my eyes.

"…Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sewage Waste Removal?" she asked skeptically.

My heart sank. Whoops.

"Well, yeah…you know, it's really interesting…" I could feel my cheeks turning red.

Elphaba stifled a laugh. "I…uh, didn't know such touchy subjects interested a prince such as yourself. Considering it as a backup career option?"

"In case ruling doesn't work?" I said sarcastically.

Then she did laugh, and it was a pleasant sound. I smiled, happy with myself for pleasing her.

"What are _you _working on?" I asked.

Her eyes skimmed the many heavy tomes before her. "I'm doing some research for Dr. Dillamond, actually."

"Oh?" I raised my eyebrows, inviting her to continue.

"Nothing you'd be interested in," she said smoothly, shoving the research away and stretching.

"How do you know?" I said defensively, another question occurring to me. "…do you really think Galinda and I are good together?"

Her gaze flew to the floor, and her cheeks reddened.

"Well…don't you want to be?"

"Of course!" I exclaimed, a little too quickly.

She looked up at me, and an awkward pause followed. Then she stood up.

"I think you can be whatever you want to be, Fiyero," she murmured, laying a hand on my arm and holding it there just a little too long. Then she flushed again and gathered her things into her arms.

"Can I walk you to your room?" I asked.

She backed away. "No, thank you. Galinda wouldn't want you to see her before the date tonight. Thanks for the talk, Fiyero." She hurried off.

I gazed after her, confusion and disappointment prevalent in my mind.

And that was when things began to change.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter: Lion-cub scene!

Review?


	5. The Lion Cub

A/N: Definitely a quicker update this time! This chapter is not as original as some of the others, due mostly to the fact that this is the lion cub scene and there's a lot of dialogue. I changed/added a few lines, small details, but nothing big.

* * *

**The Lion Cub**

Not even a month after our conversation in the library, Elphaba and I found ourselves walking together to Life Sciences on a sunny Tuesday afternoon. We'd met up by chance in the main courtyard, and fell into step side by side. Elphaba was her usual quiet self, but I noticed that her hair hung loose and her glasses were missing. That, and the fact that she looked like she was wearing makeup, made her seem three years older. As we trudged along, she twirled her hair around a finger and gave it an occasional toss. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as I realized she reminded me of my girlfriend. Galinda had gotten to her at last.

Elphaba shot me sidelong glances – though her silence was usual, mine wasn't. I wasn't sure if she was trying to get my attention or that of other boys, but I felt the "poodle" effect made her less attractive.

"What?" she asked finally, as we stopped before the classroom door. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said defensively. "It's just – you've been "Galinda-fied." You…you don't have to do that, you know."

A spasm of confusion crossed her face, along with the slightest trace of a blush. She shrugged and entered the classroom. I followed, taking my seat beside her on the bench. As usual, everyone else gave us a wide berth.

Dr. Dillamond paced before the class, seeming extremely agitated. As soon as everyone was seated, he leaned forward, speaking quickly.

"Class, I have something to say and very little time to say it. This is my last day here at Shiz. I am no longer permitted to teach." Beside me, I felt Elphaba give a start of surprise as a sick feeling of dread crept into my gut. "I want to thank you for sharing your enthusiasm, your essays – no matter how feebly structured – and even, on occasion," he looked straight at Elphaba, "your lunch."

The door flew open and Madame Morrible strutted in, looking flushed and bothered.

"Dr. Dillamond, I'm so dreadfully sorry!"

Elphaba stood anxiously, her fists clenching and unclenching as she appealed to the headmistress. "Madame, we've got to do something."

Dr. Dillamond offered her the ghost of a smile. "Miss Elphaba, they can take away my job, but I shall continue speaking out."

Two men entered the room, wearing green coats with gold braid. They weren't the type to be messed with, as was made evident when they caught hold of Dr. Dillamond's arms and began to pull him out of the classroom.

"Come on, goat," one grunted.

Elphaba's face went red. I knew why. The man had addressed Dr. Dillamond as one would address a common, nonspeaking creature. Probably the worst insult for an Animal to receive.

Dr. Dillamond called out, "They are not telling you the whole story, class! Remember that!" The door shut behind them, leaving an echoing silence.

Elphaba half-screamed, half-whispered, "Dr. Dillamond!" She turned to all of us, who sat in a stunned silence. "Well, are you all just going to sit here in silence?" I put a hand on her arm, but she shook it off impatiently.

Madame Morrible took a step forward. "Miss Elphaba, there is nothing we can do. Please take your seat."

"But-" Elphaba sighed and sat reluctantly, just as the door opened once more and a man in a white lab coat, wheeling a covered trolley, entered.

"Good afternoon, students!" he said jovially.

"Good afternoon!" Madame Morrible said cheerfully, before slipping out.

_I guess she wasn't _too _upset about Dr. Dillamond leaving_, I observed sourly, finding to my surprise that I was. I glanced at Elphaba. She sat rigidly, her mouth a firm line and her eyes stone.

Our new teacher stood in the front of the room, beaming. "Every day, with every tick of the Time Dragon Clock, in every corner of our great Oz, one hears the silence of progress. For example – this is called a cage!" He pulled the cover off the trolley to reveal a wire container with a lion cub trapped inside.

Many of the girls gasped; Elphaba hissed in disapproval.

The professor continued, pleased with the effect he was making. "Now, we will be seeing more and more of these in the near future. This remarkable innovation is actually for the animal's own good!"

Elphaba raised her hand and spoke scathingly. "If this is for his own good, then _why is he trembling_?"

"Shivers of elation, my dear – he's just excited to be here, that's all." The professor assured her. "Now, as I was saying, one of the benefits of caging the lion as a cub is that he will never, in fact, learn to speak."

Elphaba turned to look at me, her face horrorstruck. "What?"

"Come closer, everyone! That's it, come closer!" Our fellow students left the benches and crowded around the cage, but Elphaba and I sat glued in our seats.

"Can you imagine a world where Animals are kept in cages – and they never speak?" Elphaba asked me in a low, disgusted voice.

I couldn't find the reply she was looking for. I wanted to help, wanted to show her how awful I felt about this…but she wasn't paying attention to me. Her eyes were on the professor, who had some kind of syringe in his hand. The lion hissed and scrambled away.

"Now he may seem a bit agitated, but that's easily remedied!"

Elphaba grabbed my arm. "What should I do?"

"I don't know!" I moaned.

She released me and stepped closer. "Well, somebody has to – do something!"

She flung her arms out as if hoping to grab the cage from the trolley, and instantly everyone else backed away. But it wasn't that simple. They kept moving, and a further glance showed it couldn't possibly be of their own accord. It was as if they were marionettes on strings, moving jerkily, gyrating to some inaudible music. Sparks flew from thin air, and a strange wind whipped through the room.

I turned to Elphaba. Her arms were still flung out, and a shocked but rather pleased look crossed her face, confirming my suspicions that it was she who caused the chaos. She was specializing in sorcery, after all.

"What's happening?" I yelled.

She lowered her arms and whirled. "I don't know!" she called, terror filling her voice. "I just got mad, and-" She gestured helplessly to our surroundings.

"All right!" I cautiously approached the trolley and lifted the cage. "Just don't move." She froze as I went to the door. "…and don't get mad at me!" I added.

"What are you doing?" she asked me.

"Are you coming?" I answered.

She flew to my side. Cutting around the building, we crept uphill towards the university's edge. An iron gate, overgrown with ivy, was half-hidden in the brick wall. A few minutes later, the ivy had been torn off and the rusty padlock was broken, and we were off school grounds.

"Careful!" Elphaba cautioned as we hurried along. "Don't shake him!"

"I'm not!" I insisted, wincing as I felt a sting on my hand. I glanced down in time to see the cub hurriedly retract the paw it had just swiped me with.

"We can't just let him loose anywhere, you know!" she chided. "We have to find someplace safe!"

I turned to her, exasperated, and set the cage on the ground. "Don't you think that I realize that? You must think I'm really stupid or something."

She paused. "No…not _really _stupid."

I cringed. So she did think I was a brainless idiot, despite everything I'd been doing to prove otherwise.

Suddenly angry, I spat, "Why is it that every time I see you, you're causing some sort of commotion?" Not technically true, but I knew I had hit home.

Elphaba bristled. "Oh, I don't _cause _commotions, I _am _one!"

"That's for sure."

"Oh! So you think I should keep my mouth shut? Is that what you're saying?"

I saw the hurt in her eyes, and my anger disappeared. "No, I'm-"

"Do you think I want to be like this? Do you think I want to care this much?" Her voice cracked. "Don't you think I know how much easier my life would be if I didn't?"

"Do you ever let anyone else talk?" I asked wryly.

She seemed taken aback. "Oh…sorry."

"And-"

"But," she interrupted again, "Can I just say one more thing?"

I shrugged and nodded.

"You could have just walked away back there."

"So…?"

She smiled slightly. "So, no matter how shallow and self-absorbed you pretend to be…"

I stiffened and hurried to argue with her. "Excuse me, there's no pretense here. I happen to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow." _Deeply shallow?_

She shook her head quietly. "No, you're not. Or you wouldn't be so unhappy."

My heart beating quickly, I swallowed and said shakily, "Fine, if you don't want my help…"

"No, I do!" She knelt next to the cage and peered in at the cub. "Poor little thing. Its heart is trembling. I didn't mean for…"

"What did you mean to do?" I asked, kneeling beside her. "Why was I the only one you didn't do it to?"

She looked at me, apparently at a loss for words. Then her eyes widened as she reached up hesitantly. "Oh, look you're bleeding. It must have scratched you."

I vaguely wondered why she was so obsessed with my face when the scratch was on my hand, but I caught my breath as she leaned closer. We had never been this close to each other before, and I felt myself drifting in her brown eyes as I echoed dumbly, "Yeah. Or…maybe it scratched me." I wondered if she was going to kiss me, and, suddenly horribly aware of the situation, I stood abruptly. She pulled her hand away instantly. "I'd better get to safety – I mean, the cub!" I grabbed the cage, anxious to get away from my conflicting feelings. "Get the cub to safety!"

As I hurried away, I heard her behind me.

"Fiyero!"

I pretended not to hear.

* * *

A/N: Review?


	6. Afterthought

A/N: I'm just going to stop making excuses for the late updates on these chapters. Because I don't have any good ones. Except...I'm bored. But I will do my best to finish this, and if all goes well, sooner rather than later.

* * *

**Afterthought**

Later that evening, I sat alone in my dorm, my mind in turmoil.

_She almost kissed me._

And I wanted her to. My quick retreat had not been because I didn't want the intimacy – it was because I was so surprised. One minute Elphaba was calling me stupid, and then she promptly changed her attitude completely. I wanted the kiss. But the scenario of me actually revealing my innermost feelings to Elphaba would only highlight our situation - I was her best friend's boyfriend, and therefore untouchable. Our relationship could never progress past friendship, and even then it would have to be a closely bridled friendship.

Maybe…maybe Elphaba called me stupid because she thought I did not notice _her_ feelings toward _me_. And I didn't, until that last moment. But unless I was completely misreading the situation, I was now aware of how she felt towards me – I just didn't know if she knew how I felt about her, considering my abrupt and rude departure earlier.

I sighed and leaned back on my bed. Life was so much simpler before Elphaba. But...also less interesting.

"Fiyero?"

The timid, quiet voice from outside the door, accompanied by a knock, made me bolt upright. Galinda. Our date.

I went to the door and pulled it open.

Galinda was all dressed-up and ready to go out. Her hair was curled, her dress was fluffed, and her makeup was applied. But the droopy pout on her face was very un-Galinda-like.

"Galinda, I'm so sorry! I-"

"Elphie said you seemed most despondiary earlier in class," Galinda interrupted. "Was it something I did?"

I was taken aback. Surely Elphaba didn't tell Galinda what went on in between us in Life Sciences! But no, Elphaba was smarter than that. She must have simply passed a story along so Galinda would not think my odd attitude unexplainable.

"No, it…it's Dr. Dillamond, actually," I invented wildly. And it was, sort of.

Galinda stood a little straighter. The pout disappeared as she frowned. "Dr. Dillamond?" Comprehension dawned on her face. "He left the school today, didn't he?"

"Was dragged off is more like it," I corrected, nodding. "In Life Sciences. Elphaba was really riled about it, so I couldn't help but get upset as well. I guess she didn't expect me to care that much." Sensing Galinda needed further reassurance, I hugged her and automatically kissed her forehead. "Nothing you did."

She beamed, her entire frame lifting happily.

"Good. Now can we please go to dinner? I'm starving, and Barim and Pfanee are waiting."

My shoulders sagged, but I tried to keep my smile. The last thing I wanted right now was the noise and raucous clamor that came with eating with fellow students. I really only wanted to be alone, but I knew I couldn't pull that off without arousing suspicions.

"Actually, I was wondering if you and I could go somewhere else. Alone?" I suggested, hoping I sounded sincere.

Her eyes lit up and she began jiggling slightly, a sure sign she was highly excited.

"Sure!" She agreed enthusiastically. "Barim was really looking forward to seeing you, but I'm sure he'll understand. I can send Biq or someone to let them know."

I felt guilty for a moment for standing up Barim. I hardly saw him anymore, even though we shared a room, because our circles were moving in their own directions. I no longer felt that I belonged in his crowd, and he certainly didn't belong in mine. I liked him as a person, but the two of us just didn't have much in common when it came down to it. The same was true with Crope and Tibbett, both of whom I'd been avoiding lately because they made rather rude jokes about Elphaba behind her back.

"…Fiyero? Fiyero?" Galinda snapped her fingers, and I woke from my daze to see her waiting impatiently.

"Yeah?" I asked stupidly.

She rolled her eyes goodnaturedly, giggled, and leaned on tiptoes to give me a kiss. Then she pulled my hand.

"Let's go!"

--

The next morning, I saw Elphaba in the hallway between classes. She caught my eye for a brief instant, blushed just the tiniest bit, then turned away quickly and plunged on through the crowd.

Boq appeared at my elbow a second later, staring after Elphaba. He pursed his lips.

"Something odd is going on with her," he remarked.

I lifted an eyebrow. "Such as…?"

He shrugged. "Haven't you noticed? She just isn't the same girl she used to be. Quiet a lot of the time when she never was before, more passive…I'm mostly quoting Nessarose here. Oh," he added over his shoulder as the crowds began to carry him away, "picnic lunch by the river at noon!"

--

At noon, I made my way down to the riverbank. It was a popular picnic spot because of the pretty view and wide space, and I spotted several separate groups of students on the grass before I caught sight of Elphaba, Galinda, Boq, and Nessa in a circle on a blanket a short ways down.

"Fiyero! Over here!" Galinda called, waving her arm as if my eyesight was poor. I joined the circle, sitting between Galinda and Boq and directly across from Elphaba. Nessarose in her wheelchair sat rather more elevated than the rest of us.

I avoided looking at Elphaba as I retrieved a sandwich from the basket and sat back to enjoy the sun and the laughter and voices filtering around the area, from our group and others'. Galinda and Boq carried most of the conversation, with an occasional interjection on Nessa's part. Elphaba was silent as usual, and I, too, was unusually so.

"Fiyero, what do you think?" Galinda asked suddenly.

I blinked. "I…uh…"

She sighed and turned knowingly to the others. "He's been doing this a lot lately." She fixed her gaze on me. "I was asking what you thought about the practice of arranged marriage in Oz today?"

"I don't agree with it," I said instantly. "It used to be tradition in the Vinkus, but luckily was abolished under my father's rule. Otherwise, I'd probably be married already."

Galinda's mouth opened in an 'O,' and then she laughed lightly. "Well, I guess I'm lucky then, too, right?" And she hooked her arm through mine and leaned against me.

"Elphaba, what about-?" Boq began, but Elphaba jumped up suddenly.

"I have to go," she muttered. I suddenly became aware her eyes were fixed on me, but her expression was unreadable.

I gently tugged away from Galinda.

"Elphaba, don't go-"

"Work to do," Elphaba grunted, and she hurried off.

We stared after her.

"Wonder what that was about?" Boq asked in surprise.

"It's _Elphaba_," Nessa said in exasperation, as if that explained everything.

I bit my lip and said nothing. I was fairly sure I knew how Elphaba felt.

* * *

A/N: I know, nothing exciting. Next chapter should be the letter from the Wizard/the farewell...and all that jazz.


	7. Goodbyes

A/N: I don't like the first part of this chapter, but I do like the second part...

One month 'til Christmas Eve, everyone! :D

* * *

**Goodbyes**

A week went by. Elphaba made it a point to ignore me whenever we passed in the halls, and she had taken to avoiding me in classes as well. My every attempt at conversation was met with silence.

Galinda, on the other hand, had taken to being extremely overbearing. She clearly thought my increasingly long silences were because I didn't have enough to do, so she made it a point to spend every moment possible hovering by my side. When I offhandedly asked about Elphaba the evening after the picnic, my girlfriend immediately launched into a lengthy explanation of how Elphaba was _obviously _deeply affected by the _tragic _loss of Dr. Dillamond; so I knew she wasn't doing any better.

Sunday morning was a promising start to another week of good weather. The sun was out, and with it, the students. The grounds were coated with blankets and couples. I spotted Barim flirting with Shen-Shen near the statue of McStoney; he and Pfanee had split up sometime in the past week. I was somewhat surprised that I hadn't seen Galinda around.

Then Boq suddenly appeared in a doorway across the courtyard, glancing around as if searching for someone.

"Boq!" I called, waving.

I couldn't be sure he had heard me, but his eyes locked on mine anyhow, and he waved back, weaving his way rapidly through the crowd to me.

"Did you hear?" he asked breathlessly, his face flushed with excitement.

"No…" My heart sped up.

"Elphaba's going to the Emerald City!" he exclaimed. "To meet the Wizard!"

My jaw dropped. "_What?_"

"Yes! She got a letter yesterday! I just heard it from Nessa. We're on our way to the train station to say goodbye."

I could only stutter. "G-g-goodbye?"

"Her train leaves in an hour. Apparently Galinda's been helping her pack all morning."

"Elphaba's leaving?"

Boq rolled his eyes. "_Yes._ Come with us. You want to see her off, don't you?"

My mind was still racing. "I-I'll come in a few minutes. You go on ahead."

He shrugged. "All right. But don't take too long or you'll be too late." And he disappeared.

I took a deep breath, slowly processing the information Boq had just supplied me with.

Elphaba was going to the Emerald City. To see the Wizard. She was leaving.

My feet forced me into motion. There was no time to get a carriage. I would have to walk into town. But what could I _say_? What could I possibly say to her that would alleviate the awkwardness between us?

Nothing. At least, not in front of Galinda.

I sighed and vaguely noticed myself leaving the grounds of the university and entering the surrounding town. A florist's stand was set up by the side of the road; I dug in my pockets for coins and bought a simple bouquet.

Acceptable. We were technically friends, after all. I was entitled to buy her congratulatory flowers.

I wondered if she would be gone a long time or only a few days. It took a day or so by train to even get to the City from Shiz, so I assumed a week was reasonable.

What if she liked it enough to stay permanently? Could she do that? If the Wizard really wanted to see her, was it possible that she wouldn't return to school?

I quickened my pace.

The train station came into view ahead of me; I froze momentarily, my mind blank as to what I should say. Then I heard a train whistle and shook myself mentally, entering the station somewhat anxiously.

"Fiyero!" I turned to see Galinda waving furiously at me down the platform, Elphaba standing beside her. "Over here, dearest!"

Elphaba offered me a small smile as I approached, and I smiled back hopefully, thrusting the flowers out nervously.

"Elphaba…I'm happy for you." Not the most original thing I'd ever said, but safe.

Elphaba took the bouquet, but her "thank-you" was drowned out by Galinda, hanging onto my arm and bobbing her head in adamant agreement.

"Yes, we are _both _so happy!"

I winced and ignored her, focusing on Elphaba.

"Uh…listen…I've been thinking…" I began.

Elphaba nodded. "So I've heard." The twinkle in her eyes told me I was missing some joke, but I tossed this aside and ploughed on. Better to get what I wanted to say out now.

"About that Lion cub and…everything. I think about that day a lot," I explained awkwardly, wondering how best to approach this without causing Galinda to be suspicious.

Elphaba didn't look surprised. "So do I."

For a single moment, we looked at each other with some new glimmer of understanding – but then Galinda butted in again, practically throwing herself between us.

"Me too!" she trilled. "Poor Dr. Dillamond! It makes one want to…uh…take a stand!" Her face lit up, and I knew she was making this up as she went along. "So I've been thinking of…uh…changing my name!"

The attempt to redirect our attention was somewhat pathetic and completely transparent, but interesting nonetheless, and both of us turned to include Galinda again.

"Your name?" I asked skeptically.

Galinda nodded eagerly, clearly pleased her ruse was working. "Yes! Since Dr. Dillamond had his own way of pronouncing my name, in solidarity and to express my, um, outrage, I will henceforward be known no longer as G_a_linda, but as simply, _Glinda._"

I highly doubted Galinda – or Glinda – had ever been truly outraged about anything in her life. I could see, however, that I wasn't going to be able to tell Elphaba anything while Glinda was trying her hardest to keep the focus away from _us_, so I took a step back.

"Well, that's very…admirable of you…Glinda." I turned desperately to Elphaba. "Elphaba, good luck!"

And I turned heel and made my escape.

--

Later that evening when I was expecting Glinda to come find me in my room, I learned that she had gone to the Emerald City with Elphaba. This gave me slight relief; time to think without either girl around to interrupt my musings.

By the time a week had gone, I had decided what I was going to do as soon as the train with Glinda and Elphaba aboard rolled into the station.

I was going to break up with Glinda.

It was the only thing to do. I didn't want to be bound to her when my attentions were elsewhere. As much as I had realized Glinda and I were incompatible for whatever reason, I still cared about her as a friend, and I didn't want to lead her on any longer.

Then I would tell Elphaba how I felt.

That was the most frightening part of my plan, but it had to be done. Despite my best efforts for the past years to remain free from true romantic entanglements, I had fallen. And even if Elphaba rejected me, as I had feared she might, there would be no more secrets.

When the last train from the Emerald City came in Sunday evening, I was waiting for it. But when the doors opened, only Glinda stepped onto the platform, moving slowly and drearily.

My heart dropped.

"Glinda?" I asked tentatively, stepping forward. My girlfriend slowly raised her head to look at me. Her usually sparkling blue eyes were dark and sad; her hair hung limp around her face.

I took her hands.

"Glinda, what's the matter?" I looked around, half-hoping Elphaba would step out of the shadows. "Where's Elphaba?" Glinda didn't answer, and terror tore at my heart. "Glinda – she didn't get hurt, did she?" I shook her limp frame roughly. "Glinda, _answer me_!"

She snapped to attention, breaking free of my grasp and facing me with suddenly blazing eyes.

"She left!" she shouted. "She ran away. She abandoned me, us. She isn't coming back. She's a fugitive of the law. She's the Wicked Witch of the West. What else do you need to know?"

My mouth opened and closed several times. Gone? A fugitive from the law? Wicked? _Elphaba_?

"How?" I whispered.

"It'll be in the papers tomorrow," Glinda said in a hard voice.

The air around us was electrified by our argument; several people had stopped to watch.

I stood perfectly still, my arms still extended.

"Oh."

And suddenly Glinda was in my arms, sobbing heavily into my shoulder and clutching me as if I was about to disappear.

"I didn't mean it!" she blubbered. "It's a lie, all of it! That isn't how it happened! She was just trying to help!"

Her words were making no sense to me anymore. Help what?

"Glinda…" I began gently.

She pulled away once more, her fingers clawing at my arms.

"Promise you won't believe it!" she pleaded. "Fiyero, don't believe what you read in the papers! It isn't true. Believe _only _what I tell you! Promise!"

"I promise!" I told her quickly, confused and alarmed by this uncharacteristic behavior.

She fell back into my arms, crying softly, and I unconsciously stroked her hair.

Whatever had gone on in the Emerald City had not been expected, that much was certain. And now Elphaba was gone.

_What happened?_

* * *

A/N: The next chapter will take place a couple years later, after they've finished school. It probably won't include "Thank Goodness," as I want to create a scene by myself that catches everyone up on what's been going on. Review?


	8. Transition

A/N: Happy Holidays, everyone! This chapter took longer than I thought it would, but now that I'm on Christmas Break, you may even get more than one chapter soon. :) Look for updates and new one-shots.

Oh, and FYI for some readers, this chapter is _not _in the musical.

* * *

**Transition**

The next two years were the longest of my life. Without Elphaba, Shiz ceased to be interesting – it became positively boring. Life Sciences, in particular, felt empty without the green girl in the seat next to mine.

Mentioning Elphaba's name became taboo among the small circle of friends that had been. Nessarose declared quite publicly that she never wanted to hear her sister's name again; for all practical purposes, the younger Thropp sister disowned the elder. Glinda, too, would not talk about her ex-best friend, though her motivation was clearly sadness.

Now that Elphaba was gone, Barim, Crope, Tibbet and the others from that crowd became a part of everyday social life again. Glinda and I ate lunch with them and went to their parties; laughed at their shallow jokes and pretended we still knew them. But the truth was that Elphaba had changed the two of us so drastically that we no longer knew what we had seen in our old lives.

Glinda began spending more time with Madame Morrible and Nessarose in their rooms. As she explained it to me, it was her duty to look after Nessarose since it was partially her fault (though I didn't see how) that Nessa's real sister was gone. Furthermore, sorcery had become Glinda's top priority, and it seemed that whenever she and our headmistress weren't holed away somewhere, she was demonstrating her latest magic trick to me.

"You don't even _like _Morrible!" I pointed out one day as we were sharing a rare quiet lunch hidden behind the library, schoolbooks spread across the picnic blanket. Glinda had just successfully transformed my apple into a fist-sized rock, and was now idly twirling her wand between her fingers.

She sighed. "No, not really. Not since…" she trailed off as her gaze shifted, and I knew she was thinking about that day in the Emerald City. Then she started and her eyes snapped onto mine. "No, I don't. And I don't like Nessa much, either. All she does is complain. But I _need _to do this, Fiyero. For…for Elphaba. Because she can't."

I shook my head. "You can't live Elphaba's life for her," I reminded her.

Glinda pursed her lips and chose to avoid the question, staring instead at her hands, clenched tightly around her wand. "You know, the Wizard wrote to me…he offered me Elphaba's position when I graduate in a couple years."

"And?" I asked, my heart rate quickening slightly.

"Well…I wrote two letters…one accepting the post…one politely turning it down. But I don't know which to send."

"Can't he give you time? You have more than a year!"

"He _did _say I should take my time deciding, but Madame Morrible is pressuring me into an answer. And they both seem to think I'll say yes anyways."

"Do you want to?" I asked, now toying with the rock as I kept my eyes fixed on Glinda's face.

"I…yes, I do," she said reluctantly. "It's more than I ever could have hoped for my future, Fiyero. A position as the Wizard's vizier would bring honor to my family, not to mention prestige for myself, and-"

"Popularity," I murmured.

She winced, stung. "Is it so bad to want to be loved?"

This sounded like a plea, a plea for me to understand. And the truth was that I _did_ understand. Too much, in fact. I would do the same in her position, probably. But I didn't want to admit this.

"_She _didn't care," I muttered. This was a low blow, and I instantly bit my tongue as Glinda gave me a long, unhappy look.

"I'm not Elphaba. Oz knows, sometimes I wish I _was_. Oh, not with the green skin!" she hurried to add. "But…it would be nice not to care about what other people thought, wouldn't it?"

"It would make things easier," I admitted.

My girlfriend sighed and scooted closer, leaning against me.

"I miss her."

--

That had been just four months after Elphaba's departure. Almost two years later, just around graduation, Glinda and I were still together. I didn't have the courage to break it off with her, though I could see now I would never feel more than a brotherly love towards her. But she needed me, and I needed her.

Neither of us saw much of Nessarose anymore, and when we did, we no longer recognized the sweet girl we'd first met. Nessa was always with Boq these days; ridiculous, because everyone on campus had seen for a very long time that Boq did not and never had returned Nessa's affections. It didn't seem as though Boq had a choice in the matter – after graduation, Nessa was to take up the governorship of Munchkinland (her father suffered a heart attack after Elphaba's disappearance and didn't make it), and she had already force-enlisted Boq onto her staff.

Glinda was preparing to move to the Emerald City, having accepted the Wizard's offer shortly after informing me of it. I planned to return home to the Vinkus to shoulder the mantle of my father's responsibilities in preparation for his imminent retirement.

Then, one day in late April, my plans were unexpectedly altered.

It had been an unusually warm afternoon, and many of my fellow students were taking advantage of the weather to venture into town for the evening. Glinda and I had no plans – as far as I knew, she was studying with Morrible – and Barim and the others had run off, snickering and muttering something about the "Philosophy Club," so I was left to myself for a few hours.

I lounged on the window seat in my room, window open to let in the fresh air, and began penning a letter to Avaric, with whom I had kept sparse contact over the last few years and was excited, yet slightly apprehensive, to see again. I knew I had changed, and I did not know how he would react (Avaric had not seen me in over a year, as he had returned to his family's home in my absense from the household). I was laughing to myself over how even this small worry proved my alteration when there came a frantic knocking on the door.

"Fiyero! Are you in there?" Glinda called, her voice breaking. I knew instantly that something was wrong.

"The door isn't locked!"

And she burst in, tears streaming from her eyes, smearing her mascara. In her hand, she clutched a newspaper.

"Glinda, wha-?"

She didn't give me a chance to continue, slamming the door and locking it before flinging the paper at me and collapsing on my bed.

Technically, of course, girls weren't allowed in the boy's rooms, and vise-versa, but I wasn't about to point that out when Glinda was so distraught. I hesitated, unsure whether I should comfort her or read the paper first. I chose the latter, and bent over to pick it up gingerly. As I read the headline, my stomach sank.

**TWO MORE DEAD – WICKED WITCH BELIEVED RESPONSIBLE**

I didn't have to read any further. Ever since the event at the palace and the emergence of the "Wicked Witch," newspapers had heydays at least four or five days a week, proclaiming the Witch was responsible for something _terrible_, something _dastardly_– something that, in all likelihood, had nothing to do with Elphaba at all. The articles had died off lately, though, and there hadn't been a front-page story in at least a week. I couldn't fathom why this one should affect Glinda so, not when she had begun to ignore them lately.

"Are you…all right?" I asked softly, crumpling the newspaper in my fist and tossing it aside as I took a seat next to Glinda.

"I _hate _them!" Glinda sobbed, looking up at me with swollen eyes. "They don't know anything about her, but they pretend they do! They say such awful things about her _just _because they're scared of her! And it's all Morrible's fault. Fiyero, I don't think I can do this. I don't _want _to!"

"Then don't!" I said immediately, taking her in my arms. "Don't go! Go home to Gillikin instead. Glinda, you don't _have _to do this."

She was silent for a moment; then she sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, sighing heavily.

"Yes, I do. I said I would. Fiyero, who knows what would happen if I refused to be part of them? Look what they did to Elphaba when she tried!"

I shivered and tightened my hold on Glinda. She was right.

"Then…maybe I can help," I said bleakly. _How?_

She suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled away, her eyes bright with excitement.

"Fiyero, that's a wonderful idea!"

"I'm not following…"

"You can come with me!"

My heart stopped. "Come-come with you?" I whispered.

"Yes! Don't you see - with you there with me, I would have someone to talk to, someone who would _understand _and know the truth!" She jumped to her feet and took my hands, practically dancing in her excitement. "This is our chance, Fiyero! Your chance, my chance!"

I stood, too. "Glinda…I can't."

She froze. "Why not? Don't you…want to be with me?"

_She suspects,_ a voice whispered in my brain, _She knows you love someone else…_

"Of-of course I do," I said, unconvincingly. "I _do_. But, Glinda, I have to go home. My parents – they need me."

Glinda frowned. "I thought you told me that your father encouraged you to take your time coming home."

He had. I tried another strategy.

"Look, there's nothing waiting for me in the Emerald City. What am I supposed to do there?"

"I can get you a position!" she said at once. "Fiyero, I'll be the vizier to the _Wizard of Oz_! Surely I can get you a place in the Palace that fits your rank."

"But-"

"Fiyero…" she was squeezing my hand so tightly now that I could barely feel it. Her blue eyes, wide and hopeful, plead with me to say yes. "Please. I can't do this without you. If we both go, maybe we can help Elphaba somehow…secretly. That's what you want, isn't it?"

I was torn. On the one hand, the idea of helping Elphaba, or even _finding _her, was thrilling. On the other…if I went with Glinda, it would be insinuating emotions I did not feel for her. And I felt no particular fondness for Morrible or the Wizard, either.

"Can I – can I think about it?" I asked desperately.

Her eyes lit up – to Glinda, "thinking about it" meant "yes."

"Of course!" She pecked me on the cheek. "I can give you a few days, but I'll need to write to the Wizard soon. I know you'll do the right thing."

Which is how, two short months later, I found myself a member of the Wizard's personal guard, the Gale Force.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter _should _be "Thank Goodness." Maybe. Review?


	9. Celebrations and Commitments

A/N: I know that in my last update I said I would probably be sending out another chapter that very week. Clearly, that didn't happen. Please forgive me for the wait.

Part of this chapter is in the musical, and part isn't. Parts you might recognize are from "Thank Goodness" - but as usual, I altered some lines, added more, and changed singing into speech.

* * *

**Celebrations and Commitments**

"Captain Tiggular?"

I looked up. Two members of the Gale Force stood at attention before my desk. Sighing, I closed the folder I had been sifting through and replaced it in a drawer. I had been so preoccupied with my work that the two men had entered my office unnoticed.

"At ease, gentlemen. What is it?"

The taller of the two, a man called Lisks, spoke.

"Lady Glinda requests your presence in the West Parlor, sir. The public is waiting."

I sighed again and pinched the bridge of my nose. "All right. Tell Glinda – Lady Glinda – that I'll be there in a moment."

Blushing at hearing their superior's name uttered without its title, they saluted and departed. I supposed they would tell their fellows and they'd all have a good laugh over it. I didn't care. Emerald City natives were so stuck-up it was exasperating to deal with them. Besides, mine and Glinda's romance was perhaps the most publicized ever in Ozian history. As Glinda put it, we were the "ideal couple" and that was bound to be idolized in a society with as many problems as Oz had. If I wanted to call "Lady Glinda" simply "Glinda," surely I had the right to do so.

I glanced around the room once more before putting out the lamp and departing, locking the door behind me as usual and starting down the marble hallway in the direction of the West Parlor.

It was amazing to me that less than a year ago I had been a fresh graduate student from Shiz - a new soldier in the Gale Force with no knowledge of protocol. The only time I had ever handled a gun was while hunting in the Vinkus. Now, my recent promotion to Captain of the Guard granted me liberties I had not had before, even as the romance of the Grand Vizier to the Wizard of Oz himself. I was sure that Glinda had pulled a few strings to get me the position. There were plenty of better-qualified men on the force.

"Just think of it, Fiyero," Glinda told me when I pointed this out, "as Captain, you'll be able to direct searches to find Elphaba."

Which was what I had been spending most of my first month in the new position doing.

Today, there was to be a celebration throughout Oz, though I did not know exactly what was being celebrated. As of late, the country had seemed strained under the shadow of the "Wicked Witch" – rumors escalated; most were far too ridiculous to be believed by any reasonable person. Still, many did find a place in the superstitious minds of the naive Ozians. I supposed Glinda might have orchestrated the festivities today to take the citizen's minds off their troubles. She was talented at thinking of ways to calm the population.

"Fiyero!"

I blinked. While in my musings, I had reached the parlor. Glinda stood before me, beaming, toned down in a khaki dress suit with a pleated skirt. She looked somewhat like a schoolgirl in the getup, though there was a new air of authority about her that had come on slowly in the last year. The early whispers about her political experience had quickly disappeared and Glinda had soon become the most beloved figure in all Oz. She was the very picture of goodness – hence the title "Glinda the Good."

"You look handsome," she remarked, eyes alighting on my special dress uniform. She took my arm and we walked together. "Are you nervous?"

"Should I be?" I wondered.

She laughed. "You'll be expected to say a few words, I'm sure. You're going to be up on the platform with Madame Morrible and I."

I shrugged. "I can do that." Public speech had never been a problem for me.

"Good."

We had reached the wide staircase sweeping down to the Palace's grand entrance hall. Through the doors at the bottom awaited the citizens. I thought I could hear them murmuring even from a distance.

Madame Morrible waited at the bottom of the stairs. She leered at us as we approached, and I avoided making eye contact. I had never liked Morrible as headmistress at school and my opinion had not changed since moving to the City.

"Are you ready?" she asked, directing the question toward Glinda.

Glinda straightened up and gave my hand a pat as she released my arm. She nodded, adopting her best public smile, and walked forward to the doors, unconsciously straightening her outfit.

Morrible ushered me forward as well, waving a gnarled hand at the guards at either side of the hall. They moved forward and pushed the heavy doors open. Sunlight flooded into the room, reflecting off the emerald-encrusted pillars, and for a moment I was blinded as I took several paces forward. When my vision cleared I saw I was at the foot of the platform, and I mounted the few steps slowly to stand a foot behind and to the side of Glinda. Morrible stepped up opposite me.

The cheering was deafening. As my gaze swept across the adoring faces of the green-clad Ozians, I felt slightly sick inside. I had never gotten over the fact that they proudly sported the color of the very woman they condemned.

When the yelling had died down somewhat and Glinda had apparently grown tired of waving, she addressed the crowd.

"Fellow Ozians – I know these past years have been difficult. I have seen how hard the people of this land have worked to overcome their fears. These worries are very real. They must be faced and they must be faced soon. But we must strive to remember that there is still joy in Oz. And so, fellow Ozians, as terrifying as terror is, let us put aside our panic for this one day – and celebrate!"

My thoughts drifted as Glinda continued her speech. I avoided looking at the crowd and instead fixed my gaze on the sky. I wondered if Elphaba was flying even now. I wondered what she was thinking about. If she ever thought about me.

A sharp prod brought my attention back to my surroundings. Glinda gave me a pointed look and tossed her head towards Morrible.

Morrible fawned over Glinda, smiling sweetly. "And thank goodness for you, Glinda, and your handsome swain, our new captain of the guard." She turned to me. "Now you've been at the forefront of the hunt for the Wicked Witch, haven't you?"

Inwardly, I flinched. "I…don't really like to think of her as a wicked witch," I admitted.

Morrible ignored this, continuing grandly, "Captain, how does it feel?"

I assumed she meant my ongoing search for Elphaba. "Frustrating, but I became Captain of the Guard to find her, and I will keep searching!"

Morrible cackled, and Glinda laughed along with her. Confused, my eyes flicked to her and back to Morrible.

"No! Being engaged!"

I froze. _What?_

The crowd exploded. "Congratulotions!"

I swallowed, my head spinning. I turned to Glinda. "This is an…engagement party?"

Glinda nodded, ecstatic. Perhaps she mistook the expression on my face.

"Surprised?"

"Yes!"

"Good! We hoped you'd be – the Wizard and I!"

I put a hand on the railing of the platform to steady myself. Engaged? Glinda and I? My heart dropped. I'd let it go too far. Instead of breaking up with Glinda when I should have, I had let her go on believing we were in love. Now...

Morrible was speaking again. "…Glinda, dear, we're happy for you! As Press Secretary, I have striven to ensure that all of Oz knows the story of your braverism! You see," she fixed the crowd with a dramatic stare, "when our dear Lady Glinda was first summoned to the Wizard, he already had plans to make her his grand vizier! And when she approached his throne and bowed at his feet, he decreed she would officially be known as 'Glinda the Good!'"

"That's not how you described it to me…" I whispered angrily to Glinda.

She flushed. "Well, no, not exactly…but we'll talk about it later!"

Morrible continued as if she had not noticed our aside. "Then the Witch, who had been hiding in the room, leapt forward with a jealous scream! And ever since, she has terrorized all of Oz!" The crowd gasped, which seemed to be the intended effect, and yells broke out all over.

"I hear she has an extra eye that always remains awake!"

"I hear that she can shed her skin as easily as a snake!"

"I hear some rebel animals are giving her food and shelter!"

"I hear her soul is so unclean that pure water can melt her!"

"_What?_" I gasped.

"Melt her!" the others cried. "Please – somebody go and melt her!"

I spun to Glinda, not bothering to keep my voice down. "Do you hear that? Water will melt her? People are so empty-headed, they'll believe anything!" Furious, I turned on my heel and stalked off the platform.

I heard Glinda laugh nervously. "Excuse me just a tick-tock!" she called to the crowd, and she followed me back inside and into a small parlor.

I wheeled around to face her, seething.

"How could you, Glinda?" I accused her sharply. "You know Elphaba isn't like that! How could you let them carry on about her as if she's some sort of…_thing_?" I was vindictively pleased to see the hurt on the blonde's face.

"Fiyero…"

"No! I can't just stand there, grinning, and pretend to go along with all this! I don't care what they think anymore."

"Do you think _I _like it?" Glinda asked me, real tears glistening in her eyes. "Do you think I want to hear them say those awful things about her? I hate it!"

The cheerful mask was torn from her face; here was the real Glinda, the Glinda who missed her best friend and wished she had the courage to stand up for herself the way Elphaba always had. I softened and took her hands.

"Then what are we doing here? Let's go! Let's get out of here!"

Glinda shook her head. "We can't go now – not when people are looking to us to raise their spirits."

I shook my head in disbelief, my jaw tightening as I flung her hands away from mine. "You can't leave because you can't resist all _this_." I waved my hand around – even in this small parlor, the grandeur of the palace was clear. "And that's the truth." I turned away.

Glinda let out a choked cry and stepped around so I was facing her again. "Maybe I can't. Is that so wrong? Who _could_?"

"You know who could!" I shouted, incensed. "Who _has_!"

Glinda drew back as if I had slapped her. Then she swallowed and stepped forward, speaking softly. "Fiyero, I miss her too, but we can't just stop living. No one has searched harder for her than you. But don't you see? She doesn't want to be found. We have to face it."

We stood there for a moment, suspended in silence. Somehow, I knew Glinda knew that I was not in love with her. I also knew that she assumed I would do the right thing in the public eye.

I hated myself at that moment. I hated that I wasn't brave enough to denounce the Wizard and run away to find Elphaba. I hated that I wasn't cruel enough to tell Glinda I did not want to be her husband. I hated myself for changing – for actually _caring_.

And I hated myself when I said: "You're right. I'm sorry…you're right. And," I swallowed, "if it will make you happy, of course I'll marry you."

Glinda bit her lip, looking strangely unhappy. "But…it'll make you happy, too…right?"

I forced a smile; an echo of my customary lighthearted grin. "You know me…I'm always happy."

Unable to lie anymore, I fled.

* * *

A/N: Meh...not my favorite chapter. The truth is, I'm struggling with this story. I've been working on it for so long that the idea has gotten old. I _will _finish it, but updates will most lilely be extremely sporadic. Sorry. :(


	10. Leaving

A/N: I've been trying to put this chapter up since Sunday, but as I'm sure everyone is aware, the site's log-in has been down since the weekend. I wanted to get this up quickly, in case everything messes up again. Let's hope not.

The first half of this chapter is not in the musical, but everything from Fiyero's entrance to the throne room through the end of the chapter is.

* * *

**Leaving**

I was pacing my bedroom when I heard the light knock at the door.

"Fiyero?"

I sighed and glanced at the clock. I'd been barricaded in my room for almost two hours, pacing for the majority of that time, and I was no closer to deciding what to do about my situation. On the one hand, I didn't want to marry Glinda. On the other – I didn't see that I had a choice. No one except Glinda herself would understand if I announced that I did not want to become the husband of the Wizard's vizier. No one except Glinda - and maybe not even her - understood how I was feeling. And no one knew whom I really loved.

I crossed the room and pulled the door open.

Glinda stood on the other side, her hand raised to knock again. She smiled sadly, timidly. She had changed into a fancy ball gown. It suited her, but I felt nothing. Nothing like the feelings I thought I used to have for her.

"Will you come to the ball?" she asked softly.

The ball. Our engagement party.

"Glinda…"

She looked away, but not before I saw the tears building in her eyes.

"I know you don't love me," she whispered.

My shoulders slumped and I stepped forward, hugging the small woman close.

"I _do _love you Glinda," I told her. "Just – not like that. I'm sorry."

"I never gave you the chance to tell me otherwise," Glinda sniffled, carefully wiping the tears away from her eyes before her makeup could run.

I took her hand and kissed it. "You're beautiful, Glinda. And you're braver than you think you are. You were Elphaba's friend when no one else would be, even though she was...different, and it could have ruined your reputation. And you stand up there in front of all those people and lead them, even though you don't think you're qualified. You're a very special person."

Glinda blushed, and then hesitated. "…are you going to leave?"

"No. I'm not going anywhere. I'll marry you, Glinda. Because I'm not as brave as you are."

"But you don't want to marry me!" Glinda wailed.

I leaned forward and kissed her lips gently. "Let's go."

--

The party was large, fancy, and exaggerated. There were countless couples twirling on the dance floor – most I did not recognize.

As usual, Glinda stood out from all the other women, whose dresses were a great deal more demure. She led me onto the dance floor, dazzling the others with her most public smile. I forced myself to smile, too, and found that I had gotten so used to faking emotions it was almost too easy to pretend to be enjoying myself.

As it turned out, the party, for me at least, was short-lived. Glinda and I had no sooner begun our third dance than one of the Gale Force approached me stiffly.

"Captain Tiggular, there is an, uh, a _disturbance_ in the throne room."

The look in his eyes betrayed the urgency his words and manner did not. I stepped away from Glinda immediately.

"I'll be back," I told her. She looked frightened, but nodded. I felt her eyes on my back as I followed the soldier out of the throne room.

Once we were out of sight, we broke into a run. The man shoved a gun into my hands.

"What is it?" I panted.

"The Wizard," he said shortly.

The throne room was not far away from the ballroom. A second soldier met us as we approached the tall doors. There was a fraction of a second when all three of us paused; then the man I had come with leapt forward into the room with us on his heels.

The Wizard was hiding behind his mechanical contraption. His head poked out when the door opened, and I saw relief – and maybe disappointment? – etched on his face. He seemed to be unharmed.

"Are you all right, your Ozness?" I asked at once.

"Fiyero!"

I froze and slowly turned.

And there she was. Elphaba. She had not changed much since I had last seen her, except that she looked older, and somehow even more beautiful than I remembered, even in a simple black dress, her combat boots, and the hat. She held an ancient broomstick in one hand.

I caught my breath, shocked to the very core to see her here, today of all days.

"I don't believe it," I murmured, swallowing.

Elphaba looked relieved to see me. "Oh, Fiyero, thank Oz, I thought you were-"

I pulled up my gun and aimed it straight at her. "Silence, witch!" The words burst out before I had time to think about them, but unconsciously I knew that I needed to pretend, harder than I ever had before. There were others watching. Still, the surprised look on Elphaba's face hurt.

"There's a Goat on the lam, sir," one of the soldiers told me.

Dr. Dillamond? I shook my head, thinking fast.

"Never mind that, fetch me some…some water." The irony was almost funny.

The others exchanged glances.

"…water?"

I nodded sharply, without taking my eyes or gun off Elphaba. "You heard me. As much as you can carry. _Now_."

"Yes, sir!" They saluted and departed.

Elphaba took a step forward. "Fiyero…"

"I said silence!" I barked, moving quickly to the Wizard and grasping his arm. Surprising even myself, I threw him to the floor and aimed the gun at him instead.

"No!" the Wizard gasped.

"Don't make a sound, Your Ozness, unless you want everyone to know the truth about the Wonderful Wizard of Oz," I snarled, my tone icy. I glanced at Elphaba, my heart still beating wildly. "Elphaba, I'll find Dr. Dillamond later, now get out of here!"

She stepped closer instead. "Fiyero, you frightened me. I thought you might have changed."

I took a long look at her and smiled grimly. "I _have _changed."

The doors opened again and I jumped, certain it would be the soldiers with the water. Instead, Glinda entered.

"What's going on?" Her eyes found Elphaba and widened. She half-screamed and flew forward, hugging her friend tightly. "Elphie! Oh, thank Oz you're alive!" She let her friend go and stepped back. "Only you shouldn't have come! If anyone discoverates you…"

"Glinda," I interrupted her impatiently, "you'd better go."

She frowned at me. "Fiyero, what are you…?"

"Please, just go back to the ball!" I pleaded.

Glinda suddenly seemed to notice the Wizard at my feet. She gasped and looked very rapidly from him, to me, to Elphaba, and back again.

"Your Ozness, he means no disrespectation!" she explained quickly. "You see, we all went to school together…"

"Elphaba!" I urged, jerking my head at her.

Glinda looked confused. "Fiyero, have you misplaced your mind? What are you doing?"

I hesitated, then closed the distance between Elphaba and I and took her hand.

"I'm going with her." I felt Elphaba stiffen under my touch and sensed her staring up at me in shock.

Glinda mouthed wordlessly. "W-what are you saying? Do you mean – all this time…the two of you…behind my back?" She was clearly on the verge of tears.

Elphaba started forward. "No, Glinda, it wasn't like that!" she exclaimed.

I pulled her back. Thudding footsteps were fast approaching the room - we had to leave. "Well, actually, it was…but it wasn't." _That _made perfect sense. I felt pained, but there was no time to explain. "Elphaba, let's go! Now!"

She followed me willingly as we dove out of a side door. I heard Glinda calling after us and cringed.

"Fine! Go! You deserve each other!"

_Forgive me._

* * *

A/N: You should know what comes next...Hint: Romance.


	11. Escape

A/N: I didn't get as far in this chapter as I thought I would (the escape was longer than I expected), so most of the romance is going to be after this one. Sorry!

This entire chapter is of my own creation. Enjoy.

* * *

**Escape**

"What are you doing?" Elphaba asked me as we hurried through the maze-like corridors of the lower Palace. "You are aware that you're now a fugitive of the law?"

"I know," I replied quietly.

"You _know_?" she exclaimed, "And it doesn't…bother you?"

I pondered that for a moment. Did it?

"No," I replied with certainty.

She stopped in the middle of the passage, wrenching her hand out of my grip and staring me directly in the eyes.

"You just gave up everything," she told me seriously. "Money, power, position…Glinda."

I flinched at the name, but not because of what she was saying. Because I had hurt the blonde woman. _We _had.

"I know," I repeated. I glanced behind us. "Elphaba, we should really keep moving. They're probably coming, fast."

Elphaba stared at me, her mouth slightly agape.

"You really _have _changed."

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from saying 'I know' again and nodded instead.

She examined my face carefully. "You know I have nothing to offer you. No home, no security. Nothing."

I took her hand again, entwining our fingers, and leaned closer.

"_This_ is all I want," I said slowly. "All I'll ever want. Can you offer me that?"

She nodded, swallowing. "Yes…I can."

I thought for a brief moment that she was going to kiss me, but distant shouts broke the spell and she jerked away.

"Go ahead, run!" I urged. "I'll cover you."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be ridiculous." She muttered an incantation under her breath, flicking her wrist almost carelessly.

A wall of fire sprang up in the corridor behind us. My mouth fell open.

"But you…don't have a wand," I murmured.

"You aren't the only one who's changed, Fiyero," she told me, grabbing my hand and pulling me along impatiently.

We reached the end of the hall within another minute. Only a door and an iron gate blocked our way to freedom. But the gate was locked, and I'd left my keys on my bedroom bureau.

"Know any unlocking spells?" I murmured.

Elphaba bit her lip. She looked around, but there was no other way out. Then her eyes fell upon the gun on my back and she slowly smiled.

"Do you think you could shoot the lock?"

"If I do, everyone's going to know where we are," I reminded her.

"So after we get the door open…we fly."

With alarm, I eyed the decrepit broom she still clutched in her fist.

"Uh…Elphaba…I don't think I ever got around to telling you about my fear of heights."

"Fiyero, either we fly, or…" she shrugged pointedly.

I glanced back up the corridor. To escape my false life…only to be captured, possibly killed, the moment I began a new one? I shook my head and took a deep breath, taking the gun into my hands.

"All right."

She nodded and knelt, placing the broom on the ground before her and muttering a long string of words over it as she circled her arms in the air above.

For a short moment, she was once more the gawky schoolgirl presenting a dance all her own at the Ozdust. I held my breath, and the image was gone.

Elphaba stood as the broom slowly rose into the air. She gripped it in one hand and turned to me.

"Go ahead."

I turned back to the gate and lifted the gun, releasing the safety with a click.

"You might want to cover your ears."

She didn't move. "Just do it."

I aimed carefully and pulled the trigger. There was an ear-splitting bang and the gates flew open inwards, crashing against the walls. The door behind had been nicked by the bullet, which had imbedded itself in the wood.

I glanced over my shoulder. Elphaba appeared unaffected by the shot; she had mounted the broom.

"There might be someone on the other side," I warned, reaching tentatively for the door.

"Just do it quickly and climb on." She hesitated and something like vulnerability flitted briefly across her face. "This is your last chance to turn back. You could say I kidnapped you. Glinda would…might…back you up, and the Wizard-"

"No." I shoved the door open and stepped back, climbing awkwardly onto the broom behind Elphaba and slinging the gun over my shoulder again. "Go!"

"Hold on."

I wrapped my arms around her waist, holding as tight as I dared. At my touch, Elphaba stiffened. We had never been this close before.

Then the moment was gone as Elphaba sprang into action, twitching the broom handle impatiently beneath her fingers. We shot out into a side street with a few stalls and a dozen or so denizens populating it.

They froze; a woman screamed; and everyone scattered. Elphaba urged the broom on and I leaned forward, hesitantly resting my forehead on her back and shutting my eyes. She didn't seem to notice. The passing air stung my face as we climbed into the sky. More screams joined the first, and I dared to open one eye.

Green buildings were speeding by below. I tried to make out the upturned faces in the streets, but my stomach turned over and I had to squeeze my eyes shut before I got sick.

"Where are we going?" I managed to scream over the wind.

"The woods," she called back. "Near Munchkinland. I've been living there for a while. They won't find us."

We flew. And flew. Every once in a while I opened my eyes to attempt to decide where we were, but most of the scenery was farmland. The sky grew darker and the air colder. After a while, I fell into a light doze and was only vaguely aware of where I was.

Finally, the air slowed. My stomach suddenly dropped and I jerked awake, glancing around. We were descending. Beneath us spread a wide band of trees.

Elphaba carefully guided the broom lower, moving more slowly now. Soon we were among the treetops, and then gliding along the forest floor. My feet skimmed a layer of dead leaves, and the broom stopped. I tumbled off as Elphaba leapt to the ground with considerable more grace.

I scrambled to my feet and brushed off my uniform, glancing around. In the faltering light, I could see that we were in a small clearing of some kind. Tall trees were all around, and it was to one of these that Elphaba now strode.

She bent over and retrieved something from among the tangled roots, leaving the broom there in its stead. A spark flew from her palm and light flared inside the object – a lantern.

Then she straightened and turned to me.

* * *

A/N: Sorry to say that the next chapter may take awhile. I just auditioned for and made it into my school's musical, so that along with homework is going to exhaust my schedule for who knows how long...I'll do my best!


	12. As Long As You're Mine

A/N: Ah, I'm SO sorry for the really long wait! I've been _so_ busy lately...also, this chapter was not easy to do. I hope you still review. :)

--It's just too confusing to say what parts of this chapter are in the show. I mixed a lot of the original dialogue around, expanded the one scene into a week, added lines, etc.

* * *

**As Long As You're Mine**

There was a brief moment of hesitation, during which Elphaba and I merely stared at each other. Predictably, she was the first to shake it. She stepped forward, tearing her eyes away from mine.

"Are you hungry?"

I shook my head. "No. You?"

She shrugged. "Not really."

There was another awkward pause. I swallowed and shuffled my boots in the dirt. I suddenly realized that though I had known Elphaba at school, though I had been one of her only friends, and though I had fallen in love with her, I didn't actually know very much about the green girl, and absolutely nothing about her activities of the past few years. There was a void between us that needed crossing.

I cleared my throat and looked up. Elphaba had moved closer; there were only a few feet between us now.

"Elphaba…" I began, trying to string my thoughts into coherent sentences. "I wanted to tell you before – you know, before you left for the Emerald City. I just…didn't know how. And then you disappeared and Glinda needed me…I didn't know what to do."

"Neither did I," she said, smiling shyly.

Her face glowed in the light from the lantern, alighting her eyes with a strange sort of fire. I shook my head against the sudden haze of desire that seized hold of me, sending tingles down my spine.

"I…I-"

She laughed suddenly, a soft, unsteady chuckle. "You have a leaf in your hair." She reached for it; then paused, her fingers inches from my face. Her eyes met mine.

I was suddenly aware how close we were. I swallowed, and the movement seemed to startle her – she began to pull away, but I caught her wrist and leaned forward, catching her chin in my other hand. She didn't protest.

The first kiss was both more passionate and more pure than anything I'd ever experienced. My mind raced, and somehow I felt like I was falling – not down…up. So this was what flying felt like.

Dimly, I realized we were gripping each other, my fingers woven through her soft hair, her hands massaging my shoulders. It felt...right.

She pulled away first, breaking the kiss without leaving the embrace. I opened my eyes to find her beaming up at me, her face radiant. Then she leaned closer again.

The second kiss was short and sweet, and ended with the two of us sitting in the grass, trying to decide what to say – trying to figure out what to do with our hands. In the end, we let our fingertips touch on the ground.

I thought about asking her what she'd been doing the past years, but realized it wasn't important – at least, not at the moment. A deep, pleasant silence fell upon the whole forest as the moon rose over the trees and the crickets began their montage.

I could feel Elphaba's eyes raking my face and pretended not to notice, keeping my gaze fixed on our meshed hands.

"I'm sorry," she said after a while.

Surprised, I looked up.

"For what?"

"I…you've probably…kissed…so many girls. Pretty girls. I just wish I could be beautiful…for you."

I wanted to laugh, but the complete solemnity in Elphaba's eyes was immediately sobering. Had anyone ever loved her before?

I moved so I was kneeling before her. "Elphaba…you _are_ beautiful." So, so beautiful. So graceful, so mysterious...

She shook her head, looking slightly hurt. "You don't have to lie to me. I see myself every day…it's not as if I don't know."

"It isn't lying," I told her firmly, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face and marveling at how soft her skin was. "It's…looking at things another way. A _better _way."

She offered me a small smile. Then she reached forward, taking my hands and threading her fingers through mine. She sighed.

"Fiyero…do you think things will ever get better?"

I settled down next to her. Would they? I wasn't sure what exactly she was referring to, but I had a pretty good idea of something adding to her mood.

"Someday you and Glinda will make up," I told her gently. "Glinda loves you. She'll forgive you. She'll forgive _us._ And we'll all be friends again, somehow."

Elphaba pulled away, standing and turning to look at me. "You must think I'm so boring. Harping on about everything at a time like this…"

I smiled up at her. "I missed you talking. Please, continue."

She shook her head. "No..." She was silent for a moment, frowning at the ground. Then she looked at me again. "Everything's all right, really. I'm just…happy you're here." Her voice dropped on the last three words, but I heard them.

"Me too."

And suddenly she was beside me, our arms were around each other, and we were kissing again. She pulled away once, protesting – "How can you want me like this, you had everything!" – but my lips silenced hers.

Hours later, we lay on the grass, quietly contemplating the stars. We were so close our bodies were practically intertwined. My heart was beating against my chest, the exhilaration almost lifting me off the ground.

Elphaba exhaled, and I glanced over at her.

"What is it?"

She stared up at the sky and laughed.

"It's just – for the first time – I feel…wicked."

--

The next week was the best of my life. Even though Elphaba and I slept in the woods, ate little, and were on constant guard for hikers, I was happier than I'd ever been before. I realized that until _she _came along, I had never known real love. And now the emotion had taken me over. I thought poetic thoughts and dreamt beautiful dreams, with Elphaba in my arms.

We talked about our lives, a little. But we were more content simply to be together. No words were needed.

I never wanted it to end. But we both knew that eventually we'd have to confront the problems we'd left behind. I brought this up the sixth night, when we stood together in the darkness.

"This can't last forever," I told her, wishing the words didn't have to be true.

She acknowledged this remark with a sad nod.

"But I don't care. It's worth it."

A smile spread across her face and she caressed my cheek gently. "I agree."

I leaned down to kiss her again, but she stepped backward suddenly.

"Elphaba?"

She held up a hand, her face frozen. "Wait."

"What-"

"Listen! Do you hear that?"

I listened. Now that she mentioned it, I did hear an odd noise in the distance, a strange sort of whooshing. And the air had grown noticeably colder. Elphaba paled, and my hand instinctively tightened around hers.

"What's wrong?"

"It sounds like somebody in danger!" she gasped, staring into the air over my head, her eyes glazed.

"It's just the wind," I protested, unnerved. I could feel the force of the gale clearly now – a storm?

Elphaba broke away, gazing at some vision invisible to me. "My…my sister's in danger…"

I swallowed. "What? How do you know?"

She shook her head impatiently. "I don't know, I just…" She gasped and stiffened.

Thoroughly alarmed, I approached her, facing away from whatever it was she was so fixated on. "What is it? Elphaba, _what do you see_?"

"A house!" she said. "I see a house! But it's…it's flying through the sky?" Her eyes widened. I glanced over my shoulder. There was nothing there.

I hesitated. "...Elphaba?"

She came out of her daze and her eyes snapped onto mine. "I have to go to Nessa."

I nodded, taking her hand. "I'm coming with you."

She shook her head urgently. "It's too dangerous!" She pulled out of my grasp and went to her hidden nook, retrieving her hat and broom.

Panicked, I ran to block her path. "Listen to me! My family has a castle in Kiamo Ko, in the Vinkus. No one is ever there except the sentries who watch over it. We've never lived there."

She wrinkled her nose. "Where _do _you live?"

I grinned, somewhat embarrassed. "In the other castle."

"Oh."

I took her hand again. "Kiamo Ko is the perfect hiding place – secret passageways, tunnels. You'll be safe there. I'll come as soon as I can."

She nodded slowly. "Fiyero…we _will _see each other again, won't we?"

I kissed her. "Elphaba, we are going to be together _always_." I laughed. "You can see houses flying through the sky…can't you see that?"

She hugged me quickly, backing away for one last look. Then she smiled faintly and disappeared into the trees.

Around me, the wind picked up even more. I shivered and glanced about. Something didn't feel right. Houses doing things they shouldn't be, Elphaba having visions...Nessa in danger.

And then everything clicked.


	13. Sacrifice

A/N: So I lied. I thought I wasn't going to be able to update for another couple of weeks, but my PC decided to be kind to me and steal wireless connection from my neighbors out here in the middle of nowhere (actually, they let me use it, so it isn't stealing). And I wasn't tired at 11:30 last night, which is when the rest of my family decided to go to bed, so I sat up another two hours and wrote this chapter for you. :)

The middle part of this chapter with everyone by Dorothy's house is the only part in the musical. The beginning and end are of my own creation.

* * *

**Sacrifice**

"Excuse me, but could you direct me to the town square?"

An elderly Munchkin regarded me with suspicion as I struggled to shake myself of the exhaustion enveloping my body and mind. This man was no less than the fifth I'd asked for directions, and they'd all watched me with identical guarded expressions before hurrying away without providing a reply. I knew what they were thinking: A barbaric Winkie! Run away, run away! Not to mention my soiled Palace uniform, my sluggish appearance and movements, and the gun strapped to my back.

I was a sight.

I'd been walking all night, determined to find Elphaba and warn her before it was too late. She was in danger. But if I couldn't find the town square (and thus the governor's mansion) soon, I might as well give up.

"Are you a reporter?"

I blinked. The little man had asked the question. He stared up at me with real curiosity.

I frowned. "No…I'm not. Why would you think that?"

He shrugged. "Just figured, with the accident that happened this morning…"

My heart skipped a beat.

"Accident?"

He squinted at me. "Yeah…didn't you hear? A house fell from some star called Kansas. Landed right on the Wicked Witch of the East – I mean the governor. Squashed her where she was standing."

I sucked in a breath. _Oh, no…_

"I, uh…I'm not a reporter. But I need to find the square anyway. It's important."

He shrugged again and pointed. "You're almost there. Just keep following the Yellow Brick Road thataways. It's less than a mile from here."

"Thanks."

I pushed onward, my heart beating wildly against my ribcage. Was Elphaba all right? Was she at her sister's side, mourning? I had to assume she already knew about the "accident."

Stumbling, I mounted a small incline in the road and looked onward. The town was there, spread out below me. It was really very small – Munchkins were mostly farmers.

Advancing with sudden caution, I approached the cluster of buildings. Before I entered the town itself, however, I sighted the fallen house – or rather, the remains of the house. The bottom half was completely crushed, and the rest was submerged in a sea of corn. Two familiar figures stood near it, and I crouched low in the field and crept closer.

Elphaba and Glinda were arguing, that was much was apparent. As their voices became audible, I realized they were fighting about _me._

Elphaba was speaking. "…it's real. And you can wave that ridiculous wand all you want, you can't change it! He never belonged to you! He doesn't love you, and he never did. He loves me!"

Glinda lunged forward and slapped the green witch across the face. I winced, but Elphaba only cackled.

"Feel better now?"

Glinda grinned triumphantly. "Yes, I do."

"Good." And then Elphaba smacked Glinda. "So do I."

My mouth slightly agape, I watched as my two best friends quite literally leapt at each other; Elphaba pulled Glinda's hair and Glinda hit Elphaba repeatedly on the head with her own hat.

I was preparing to intervene when quick footsteps from behind made me flatten myself on the ground. Four members of the Gale Force trotted past; I knew their faces. They burst upon the scene, guns at the ready.

"Halt! In the name of the Wizard!"

One man pulled Glinda out of harm's way while another two held Elphaba back.

"Stop! Let me go!" Elphaba shrieked, her eyes sparking in fury.

"Let _me _go – I almost had her!" Glinda squealed at the same time.

The officer who was apparently in charge inclined his head to Glinda. "Sorry it took us so long to get here, miss."

Elphaba froze, her expression sagging as her eyes accused her best friend. "I-I can't believe you would sink this low! To use my sister's death as a trap to capture me?"

Glinda's expression was one of utmost horror. "No, Elphie, I didn't mean for this to happen…!"

Sensing the appropriate time to interfere had come, I leapt into view, gun cocked in my hands.

"Let the green girl go!" I winced. _Where did _that _come from_? My contemplation abruptly ended when I spotted one of the men edging toward me. I swung the gun's muzzle toward Glinda.

Her eyes were wide. "Fiyero! How in Oz…"

Apologizing silently, I cut her off roughly. "I said, let her go! Or explain to all Oz how the Wizard's guards watched while Glinda the Good was slain!" The malice in my voice shocked me most of all.

Glinda swallowed and took half a step forward. "Fiyero…"

I shook the gun in warning, pleading for her to understand. "I said, _let her go_!"

And she did understand. The small, almost imperceptible nod as the guards released Elphaba told me she knew what I was doing, even if she couldn't understand why.

Without removing my gaze from Glinda, I knelt and tossed Elphaba her fallen broom.

"Elphaba, go. Now."

She shook her head. "Not without you."

Glinda extended a hand. "Fiyero, please…"

My fingers tightened on the trigger – I was afraid they might slip.

"Hush! _Go_!"

There was a long moment of hesitation. Then Glinda scooped Elphaba's hat off the ground and threw it at her friend.

"Do it!"

And Elphaba fled.

I stepped backward, the gun still aimed at Glinda. I sidled sideways; the guards mirrored my movement. Taking a deep breath, I lowered the gun and let it drop limply to the ground.

"Seize him!"

Instantly, the men surrounded me, taking my gun into custody and kicking my legs out from under me as they produced rope from somewhere and began to bind my wrists behind me.

Glinda hurried forward. "Wait, what are you doing? Stop it! I command you to cease!" When she was ignored, she tried again. "Don't you see? He was never going to hurt me. He just…he loves her." It was as if she was realizing this for the first time. Her tear-filled eyes met mine. There was nothing she could do; the guards began to drag me away.

"Glinda…" I called. "I'm so sorry!" For everything.

"Take him to that field over there! Put him on one of those poles until he tells us where the Witch went!" the head guard commanded.

Glinda tried to follow, but was rebuffed. Her cries followed us out of sight.

"Don't hurt him! _Please _don't hurt him! Fiyero!"

I squirmed helplessly as I was tied to a tall pole where the Yellow Brick Road forked by yet another cornfield. I was terrified, but I found that my thoughts were with Elphaba. I hoped she had gotten away safely. I hoped she wouldn't try any heroic rescues. I hoped whatever was coming would be over quickly and wouldn't hurt terribly.

The guards surrounded me, eerily unpleasant grins on their faces.

"Well, _Captain_," one sniggered. "What should we start with?"

"I say we cut off his toes. One by one."

"Naw, stab him with a spear. That'll hurt enough!"

"Or maybe…" the fourth suggested, "we won't hurt him til we find his girlfriend. The Wizard wants her, but he won't mind if we take a little for ourselves first. I bet an ugly like her makes a great lover…and pretty-boy here can watch."

My insides boiled.

"Don't you _dare _touch her!" I growled. "I will _kill _you if you lay your hands on her."

Guard number four flitted forward, holding a knife to my throat. "You can't do that if you're dead, though, can you?" He pressed and I tensed, expecting pain.

Instead, a sudden flash of light blinded my vision and made me cry out in shock, my exclamation blending with those of my captors. A strong tingling began in my fingertips and began to spread through the rest of my body.

I heard frightened yells and the sound of the others running away, leaving me alone on the pole, before a loud roaring filled my eardrums and blocked out all sound. Faintly, I thought I heard a voice chanting some kind of gibberish, but then that died out as well as the roar. A sharp jolt tore through my already ringing head.

Then everything went black.

* * *

A/N: I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do about the next few chapters. We all know what comes next - The Wizard of Oz. But I don't think I want to get into that, because that could be a story by itself, from Fiyero/Scarecrow's POV. So I may skip ahead a little. Opinions?

Review!


	14. New Acquaintances

A/N: I promised myself that I was not going to make apologies, only updates. So that's what I plan on doing. For those of you still reading, the story is wrapping up. I anticipate about seventeen/eighteen chapters when all is said and done.

It's been a long, long while, so for those of you in need of a brief refresher: I left you precisely at the cusp of Fiyero/the Scarecrow's appearance in the Wizard of Oz storyline. I made up (most of) the following scenes myself to fit the POV and plot.

* * *

**New Acquaintances**

The sun was bright, the sky was blue--and I had absolutely no idea who or where I was.

Consciousness came suddenly, as if it had always been there, and soon after, the realization of _being._ I was "solid" (even though I wasn't quite sure what that meant). I was also elevated off the ground (what an interesting word!), on a pole. I felt giddy.

Experimentally, I wiggled my fingers. And laughed. What an interesting sensation!

Now if I only I could remember...

Everything else slipped into the background as movement caught the corner of my eye. A small someone was wandering down the yellow brick road in front of me.

As she (it was a little "girl," the word slipped into place) passed in front of me, she stopped, sighing.

"I think we're lost, Toto," she said to the small black creature at her feet, which wagged its tail.

Speech sounded fun, so I decided to try it.

"You're only lost if you don't know where you're going." What marvelous rhetoric.

The child looked up at me. She seemed startled, so I kept still, hoping not to frighten her. After a moment, she shook her head and turned away.

"It's just a scarecrow, Toto, don't be frightened. They can't talk."

A scarecrow. So that was me. That was nice. The girl did not seem to know I was alive, so I guessed I must be individual. Even better.

I lifted an arm. "You could go that way..."

She spun, observed me frozen, with one hand pointed. I waited until she'd looked away before switching arms.

"Or that way..."

"Oh dear," the girl murmured without turning.

I grinned. "Of course, people do go both ways!"

This time, she caught me in mid-motion, as I crossed my arms.

"You _can_ talk!" she exclaimed. I nodded cheerfully. She stepped closer. "I don't mean to be rude, but in Kansas, scarecrows aren't alive."

I shrugged. "They usually aren't here, either." I had no idea how I knew this, but it was the truth. "Where's Kansas?"

"It's where I'm from. Back over the rainbow, I think. I'm trying to get there now." She squinted up at me. "Can I help you down?"

"That would be wonderful." I beamed. "Now, I'm not sure - I seem to be brainless, and can't remember anything before meeting you - but there's a nail that perhaps you could bend..."

The child stepped around the pole, and a second later I tumbled to the ground.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, falling to her knees beside me.

"It didn't hurt," I reassured her, grabbing a fistful of straw and sticking it under my shirt. "You don't seem at all frightened of me--I mean, if scarecrows don't talk back in Kanso."

"Kansas," she corrected automatically. "And, well--a lot of odd things have happened to me today. I'm Dorothy, by the way."

I shook her hand. "I don't know if I have a name, but you may call me Scarecrow. What sort of odd things?"

She helped me to my feet and placed her little basket over her arm. "Well, first, a tornado lifted my house right into the air and brought me here. A town of little people--Munchkins, right?--called me their hero because the house squished the Wicked Witch of the East."

Something clicked unexpectedly. "The Wicked Witch..."

"Of the East." Dorothy nodded wisely. "A nice lady called Glinda the Good gave me these shoes to protect me--" She clicked her heels together and my eyes flew to the sparkly silver footwear, a horrified but as yet unidentifiable feeling beginning to form in my gut. The lighthearted feeling disappeared; it was suddenly important to remember.

"And now the Wicked Witch of the _West_ is after me because I killed her sister!"

Her sister. Nessarose. Elphaba. Houses flying through the sky. Green skin. The Emerald City. Glinda. Captured. Tied to a pole. A flash of light...

I staggered backward as the weight of the memories hit me. I knew who I was. I was Fiyero Tiggular, former Captain of the Guard, Winkie Prince. Nessarose was dead, and now Elphaba probably thought I was, too. Close association with Glinda had taught me that magic could do strange things in desperate times. With the right intent but the wrong wording, it could turn me into a scarecrow.

There was only thought on my buzzing mind now: find Elphaba.

Dorothy patiently helped me to my feet, still rambling. "...the Wizard might be able to help-"

"_The _Wizard?" I interrupted. "The Wizard of Oz?"

"Who else? I'm going to the Emerald City to see if he can help me get home. I heard he can do _anything_."

_Yeah, right_, I thought. But Glinda would be in the Emerald City, and if I could just talk to her...she might be able to help me. I didn't deserve it, but what other choice was there?

Better yet, if Elphaba really was after Dorothy, staying with the girl was my best chance of reuniting with my missing lover.

Even as the gravity of the situation sunk in, I couldn't help a rather wry thought: A green-skinned Witch and a Scarecrow Prince. What an original couple.

"I'd better get going before it's too late," Dorothy announced, interrupting my musings. She scooped her little dog into her arms and offered me a smile.

"May I come with you?" I asked casually. "The Wizard might be able to give me a brain."

She hesitated. "I'd love the company, but it will be dangerous. The Wicked Witch of the West..."

"I'm not afraid of her," I said immediately.

She shrugged. "Then perhaps you _are _a bit foolish. But all right. Shall we go?"

--

Days later, and I wasn't sure if Dorothy was going to survive the whole trip. I wondered if anyone would find the body if the Tinman and I used his axe to dig a hole in the woods.

She was so _annoying_! It was constantly Auntie Em this, Uncle Henry that...I usually liked children, but I wasn't in the mood for the endless chatter.

I bit back a groan as the farmgirl started into another drought story, and rolled my eyes over to the Tinman. In him, I had found a friend. From the moment he joined the group, his dislike for our female companion positively screamed out from under the tin. Dorothy was impervious, but I was not, and even though there was something slightly disconcerting about him (as though we'd met before, though I was absolutely sure I didn't know him), the Tinman was company.

The Lion, on the other hand, was not. Cowardly from the start, he hung close to Dorothy and far away from her dog. He did not make conversation with anyone, and meekly agreed with whatever was said to him. I had the oddest feeling we were also acquainted, but as with the Tinman, had had no revelations.

All in all, the present company was a motley, uncomfortable bunch. I couldn't wait to find Elphaba, but there had been no luck so far. The Lion whimpered at the mere mention of the Witch--the Tinman adopted a startlingly ugly expression at her name, and I had to keep reminding myself that he, like the other Ozians, had been deluded.

"...so then Auntie Em told me to go to the well and--LOOK!"

I had become so accustomed to turning my thoughts elsewhere when Dorothy rambled on that it took me several fuzzy moments to realize what had caused her to exclaim so enthusiastically.

We had climbed to the precipice of a hill; now the Emerald City lay before us in all its ostentatious glory. It was mid-day, and the traffic in and out of the capital was at a high. If I had noticed how close we were coming to our destination, I might have expected to meet a few travelers on the road. But it was not the season for Munchkin vacation, and anyway, we had not taken the most highly-traveled road, in order to avoid encountering curious eyes and questions.

I sighed in relief and anticipation. Though I had lived in the city for over a year and had grown to despise it somewhat with its gaudy facade and malicious underground network, I could not completely quell a familiar feeling of awe at the sight of it. I doubted anyone, even--perhaps _especially_--Elphaba, could.

"We're here!" Dorothy cheered unnecessarily. "Now we'll go talk to the Wizard and I can go home!"

I shook my head. If only anything were that easy.


	15. Meeting the Wizard

A/N: At this point, I'm thinking the story will be about eighteen chapters when finished. And I do hope to finish soon!

Made up this chapter besides the scene with the Wizard, in which the dialogue is more or less taken directly from the 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz."

* * *

**Meeting the Wizard**

"But we _must _see the Wizard!" Dorothy argued earnestly. "We've come all this way!"

The guards at the Palace entrance did not seem impressed by the little girl standing before them, but their eyes had not left the rest of us, her strange companions, since we first approached.

One of them sighed wearily, trying to be nice. "Ma'am, _no one _sees the Wizard. Even _I've _never seen him. Run along now."

I only vaguely recognized the two men before us. I did remember them to be discontented with my fast promotion (both were more experienced than I). But I also knew something my companions did not—Glinda was our way in.

"She's wearing the slippers of the Witch of the East," I interrupted. "Given to her by Glinda the Good herself."

The change was instantaneous.

Both guards looked at the shoes, then at each other, again at the shoes, and finally to Dorothy.

"I think you'd better come inside."

The gate was unlocked quickly and one of the two soldiers stepped through. We followed and were immediately intercepted by a third uniform. The two conversed quietly, with multiple glances our way, before the newest guard slipped past us to join his fellow at the gates. Our guide beckoned us to follow him.

As we passed through the courtyard, we caught a glimpse of protestors crowding the other side of the fence, around the corner from where we'd entered.

"You're lucky you didn't try the main entrance. You'd never have gotten through that." The man shook his head in disgust. "Filthy beggars, think they know everything about everything. Lobbying for Animal rights-" But he glanced sideways at the Lion and fell silent.

A chill passed over me as I remembered Dr. Dillamond and his fate, and I stepped closer to my feline companion.

Before long, we passed through another locked door and into the grand marble hallways of the Palace proper.

"Is Glinda here?" Dorothy asked, gazing in astonishment at her surroundings.

"That's _Lady _Glinda to you. And no, I believe she is out in the countryside today."

My hopes fell. _How am I going to find Elphaba now?_

We continued in silence until we reached a set of large golden doors I knew to be one entrance to the Wizard's throne-room.

I glanced down the hall. Glinda's chambers were close…

"And who are these intriguing visitors?" A familiar voice trilled.

I turned slowly. Madame Morrible stood before us, smiling widely.

Our escort spoke first. "They came to see the Wizard, Madame. Lady Glinda gave the little girl the silver slippers of the Witch of the East. This is the Wizard's Press Secretary, Madame Morrible," he explained to us.

Morrible's eyes widened and fell to Dorothy's feet.

"My dear," she said softly, "you are most welcome."

I fought to hide my disgust. I remembered what Elphaba had told me about the shoes—enchanted so Nessarose could walk. No doubt Morrible knew all about this and couldn't wait to get her hands on them.

"Will you announce them, or shall I?" the soldier asked.

"I'll do it." Morrible said at once. "You may return to your post." As our escort saluted and departed, her eyes returned greedily to Dorothy. "What's your name, child?"

"Dorothy Gale, ma'am," Dorothy replied, curtseying. "My friends and I have come a long way to see the Wizard. The Scarecrow would like a brain, the Tinman a heart, and the Lion some courage. And I'd like to go home. I'm from Kansas, you see, and a tornado brought my house here, with me in it! Well, me—and Toto," she added, indicating the black head sticking out of her basket.

The Madame's eyes gleamed. "A tornado, you say?"

Suddenly I remembered Glinda's words of years ago, when her love for sorcery was new and her admiration of her mentor was undampened.

"_Weather is her specialty, you know!"_

I had no proof, but I didn't need it. Something snapped. I was sick and tired of being _nice_. I wanted the Wizard to tell me where Elphaba was _now_. I wanted to be rid of this _game_.

"We'd like to see the Wizard," I said coldly.

Dorothy frowned at me as Morrible's gaze turned my way.

"The Wizard doesn't see just _anyone_," she said sternly. "I'll have to ask him if he will receive you." She ushered us inside the partially opened golden door. Inside was a waiting room, one I'd never seen before. "Please sit down. I will return in a few minutes." She disappeared through an ordinary door across from where we'd entered.

"You shouldn't be rude," Dorothy chided me. "She's just trying to help."

The Scarecrow would have apologized. But I was Fiyero, so I shrugged instead.

"I think you had better go in without me," the Lion said, quivering. "I'm not brave enough for this."

"Don't be ridiculous," Dorothy said, patting his paw kindly. "You'll be fine. You want your courage, don't you?"

"Not _this _badly," he moaned, but he sat down obediently.

Moments later, Morrible returned.

"The Wizard has decided to grant you entry. Speak when spoken to, don't ramble, and make it quick."

"Ooh, I'm so excited!" Dorothy whispered to the Tinman as we moved to the door.

Mentally, I rolled my eyes. _He's just a _man_!_

--

The throne-room was exactly as it had been the last time I'd seen it...but darker, and almost smoky. I had never seen the Wizard in action when he was trying to impress visitors, and I realized now how intimidating the situation might seem to those who did not know the truth.

The Wizard's mechanical head lay limp at the room's head; as the door closed behind us, however, it sprang into life, eyes glowing and mouth spitting sparks. Dorothy, the Tinman, and the Lion were all quaking, and I had to admit I was impressed, despite myself.

The Wizard spoke, his voice deep and booming and unnatural.

**"I am Oz, the Great and Powerful! Who are you?"**

"Oh, dear..." Dorothy murmured.

**"Who are you?"**

The Lion pushed Dorothy forward and she spoke, stuttering terribly.

"I-if you p-p-please, I-I am Dorothy, th-the small and m-m-meek. We-we've come to ask y-y-you-"

**"Silence!"**

Dorothy stumbled backward, grabbing onto my arm and squeezing.

"Jiminy crickets!"

**"The Great and Powerful Oz knows why you have come. Step forward, Tinman!"**

The Tinman took Dorothy's place reluctantly.

**"You dare to come to me for a heart, do you? You clinking, clanking, clattering collection of caliginous junk!"  
**

"Ohh--yes - yes, sir - Y-Yes, Your Honor. You see, a while back, we were walking down the Yellow Brick Road, and-"

**"Quiet!"  
**

The Tinman reeled backward.

**"And you, Scarecrow, have the affrontery to ask for a brain - you billowing bale of bovine fodder!"**

I took a breath and went forward. _Be afraid. Be very afraid. Oh, look, scary old man! Come on, Fiyero, use those acting skills you...don't have._

"Y-Yes - Yes, Your Honor - I mean, Your Excellency - I - I mean - Your Wizardry!"

**"Enough!"**

I stepped aside, confident with my performance (as much of a lie as the Wizard's was) as the Lion was called to the front. He shuffled slowly forward, swayed; fainted. Dorothy flew to his side, glaring indignantly at the frightening head.

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself - frightening him like that, when he came to you for help!"**  
**

The Wizard did not sound ashamed.

**"Silence, Whippersnapper! The beneficient Oz has every intention of granting your requests!"  
**

The Lion stirred and sat up. "Huh? What's that? What'd he say?"

**"But first, you must prove yourselves worthy by performing a very small task. Bring me the broomstick of the Witch of the West."**

Oh.

The Tinman found his voice first. "B-B-B-B-But if we do that, we'll have to kill her to get it!"

I swallowed.

_Exactly._


	16. The Dark Forest

A/N: Two chapters left?

* * *

**The Dark Forest**

Gossip had always spread quickly in Oz, so it was little surprise that my companions and I had a difficult time finding places to stay en route to Kiamo Ko. No one wanted to become involved with those actively approaching the Wicked Witch to destroy her, and all were intimidated by the rumor that we had received the blessing of the Wizard himself. This, of course, was not _entirely _true, but it was an unnecessary waste of breath to explain the real situation.

The Tinman had fallen into a sullen silence since our audience with the Wizard. He did not seem at all daunted by the task we had been given, and this apathy worried me somewhat. He wasn't frightened by the Witch, and, not for the first time, I wondered if he knew something about her--if they had ever interacted one-on-one. When I finally decided to ask, he actually seemed surprised I hadn't figured it out earlier.

"The Witch turned me into this man of tin," he explained sourly. "I didn't do anything wrong. She just hated me."

I found this hard to believe.

Dorothy continued her endless chatter, this time about how much she _hated _the thought of being a conscious murderer, and how _scary_ the path was, and how she wanted to go _home_.

The Lion had taken to muttering to himself; no one bothered him, and he trailed along meekly, apt to faint again at any moment.

As for myself, I was trying to think of a way to alert Elphaba of our coming. I didn't _really_ think we posed much of a threat, but if we were joined by others (as was not unlikely), she needed to have a plan of defense.

On our third day of travel, we managed to find an elderly woman willing to shelter us for the night.

I noticed a pad of stationery on the bedroom table, and once Dorothy and the Lion were asleep (the former on the bed, the latter on the floor with Toto), I wrote a letter to Elphaba, explaining what had happened and what was going to happen. I was grateful that the Tinman had opted to take a night walk (since neither he nor I _needed _to sleep) because I wanted to avoid answering questions.

After some though, I drew up a memory of my childhood--of one of the very few vacations my family had ever taken to the gloomy castle. My elder sister and I--very young and mischievous back then--discovered all kinds of secret passages in the place, along with several trapdoors.

One such hidden jewel was in the center of the entry hall. I included it in my letter, praying it still existed as I remembered it. Then I folded the paper and put it into my pocket.

The Tinman returned moments later.

"There are Flying Monkeys in the sky," he noted blankly. "We must be close."

The next morning was a late start.

I cast my gaze skyward as soon as I stepped into the outdoors, but didn't see anything for the first hour or so. Then a mob of large creatures blotted out the sun.

"There!" the Tinman said. "I think they're following us."

The others didn't seem to notice, so we didn't say anything. At sunset, we were entering a thick forest where the branches of the trees were twisted and the heavy fog severely limited visibility. An owl hooted, and everyone jumped.

"I suppose there's all kinds of spooks in here," Dorothy said, for once very quiet.

"I don't believe in spooks," I said, swallowing anxiously. The flutter of wings made me jump involuntarily and glance around. Maybe Elphaba was watching us...

"I do," the Lion whimpered. "I do believe in spooks..." He froze up, and the Tinman and I had to shove him to make him take a step forward.

At that moment, the trees sprang to life, screeching and swooping over our heads. But it wasn't the trees--it was the Monkeys that had been in them.

Dorothy screamed and threw herself to the ground. In the process, her basket rolled over next to me, and Toto leapt out and promptly began a vocal tirade against our attackers. Acting instinctively, I stuffed my letter for Elphaba under the handkerchief. The Lion bolted and the Tinman began swinging his axe around.

The Monkeys came back around, and I was blown over by the resulting tailwind. Two of them seized Dorothy under the arms; another chased Toto down and a fourth took possession of her basket.

As quickly as they had come, they were gone, Dorothy's screams fading into the distance.

I stood shakily, patting myself down to repack the straw. The Tinman retrieved his axe from where it had become lodged in a nearby tree trunk.

"That was an unforeseen complication," he stated, sighing. He looked around. "Where'd the Lion go?"

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty..." I murmured, earning myself an odd look from my remaining companion.

"Are th-they g-g-gone?" The Lion shuffled into the open, twisting his tail between his front paws.

"They're gone," the Tinman confirmed. He sighed again. "I suppose we're on our own. We can't go back now, and we can't leave Dorothy alone in that terrible place."

"So we go on," I said, shrugging. "I doubt we're going to be bothered again; El-I mean, the Witch, clearly isn't very interested in us."

"I knew I should have stayed home..." the Lion whined.

It wasn't much later when we emerged from the creepy forest into a valley. The sky was pitch black and there were clouds obscuring the moon and stars. Ahead, nestled in the crook of the hills, was a small village with just a handful of houses. Curiously, most of the dwellings had lights blazing despite the hour.

As we followed the path into civilization, it became clear why.

There were knots of men out in the street, most holding weapons of some kind. All were muttering amongst themselves, dark expressions on each and every face. As a few turned to look at us, we shrank back.

One of the men stepped forward, his eyes flitting between the three of us. "You them?"

Neither of the others spoke, and I wondered when exactly I had become the voice of the group.

"Who?"

The same man fixed me with a surly glare. "The ones out to kill the Wicked Witch of the West." He squinted. "You mostly fit the description, but there's no little girl."

"She was captured by the Monkeys," I explained cautiously. "We're on our way to rescue her--and to fulfill our mission."

The man nodded, his face clearing. He held out a hand.

"Name's Simpkins. I'm the mayor of this town. We're prepared to come with you and help in any way we can."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You all ready to go?"

"_Now?_" the Tinman asked, looking surprised.

"Nighttime's the best. Or were you planning to leave your friend in the hands of that monster for longer than absolutely necessary?"

"Of course not," I said confidently. "We'll go now. How long will it take?"

"Castle's about a half hour march from here. We have spare guns and spears for you all to use--provided you know how to use them," he added with a sideways glance at the Lion, who was still looking skittish.

"Thank you for your help," the Tinman said stiffly.

"Truth is, we were waiting for something like this. A chance for an uprising," Simpkins said gleefully. He clapped his hands together. "Well, every moment we wait is a moment wasted. Let's go."


	17. The Rescue

A/N: Yes, it's been a while again, but no more waiting - this is the second-to-last chapter, and the last is already written.

Dialogue in the castle is from MGM's "The Wizard of Oz," with some tweaking and the occasional added line. Everything else is mine. Nothing from Wicked itself.

* * *

**The Rescue**

The castle was big - much bigger than I remembered it to be. I had always thought of Kiamo Ko as "the other castle," the less significant dwelling, but now I looked upon it in awe. Under the dark skies and the looming thunderclouds, the fortress definitely looked like the home of a Wicked Witch.

Simpkins was a good bit paler now that we were so close. In fact, some of the men had already turned back with excuses about dependent wives and children. The Tinman would not let the Lion flee, though the oversized feline had made the attempt more than once.

The stop-and-go movement the crowd had adopted was extremely trying. While I was anxious to see Elphaba and show her that I was truly alive, the others seemed to be rapidly changing their minds about the advance.

"Come on," I said finally, frustrated. "The Witch has to know we're coming now. The farther away we are, the more vulnerable we are to attack! It's just a little bit further."

The Tinman dragged the Lion over to me.

"I think we should leave these cowards behind," he said in a low voice. "They aren't going to be any help. Might as well lose them now."

"Yes, please," the Lion whimpered.

"I wasn't talking about you," the Tinman said. "_You _are coming along."

"B-b-b-but..."

"I'm moving on," I interrupted, shrugging. "They can do what they want."

The three of us started forward. A few yards on, we glanced back to see the remainder of our "mob" disbanding for home.

"Cowards," the Tinman snorted.

The Lion sniffled. "H-h-how are we g-g-g-going to..._you know_...the W-w-witch anyways?"

"We'll need to sneak into the castle," the Tinman mused.

I smiled. "I have an idea..."

**/**

A half hour later, the three of us were dressed as Winkie guards. It had been relatively easy to ambush the patrolling soldiers, picking them off one by one and stealing their uniforms. I was sure we looked ridiculous, but the idea was a solid one.

We marched right up to the castle with the Lion in the middle of our line so he couldn't escape - though he seemed rather resigned to his duty by now, and even made a visible effort to control his shaking as we clattered through the courtyard and approached the front doors. The guards on either side saluted and let us pass without a challenge.

It was almost too easy.

The castle's front entryway was surprisingly empty. I glanced at the spot on the floor where I knew the trapdoor was hidden, and wondered if Elphaba had gotten my letter and followed the instructions. I could only hope she had - if not, it was too late now.

The Tinman motioned to a set of stairs on the far side of the room, and I nodded and led the way up. A long hallway of doors greeted us - bedrooms, if my memory served correctly, and maybe a generic room or two. Of the half a dozen doors, only the one at the very end of the hall was shut.

Stealing forward as silently as possible, and shedding our ridiculous outfits as we went, we made our way to that door.

The Tinman knocked. "Dorothy?" he called softly.

Dorothy's response was instantaneous. "Yes, it's me! Oh, hurry! She's locked me in!"

"It's her!" the Lion exclaimed unnecessarily.

The Tinman raised his axe and sent it crashing into the door with a resounding bang. Our presence was no longer a secret, so he worked quickly, hitting the door twice more until it gave way, flinging aside shards of splintered wood.

Dorothy tore out of the room, throwing herself into my arms first.

"Oh, thank you! I knew you'd come. But we've got to hurry - the Witch is coming!"

We turned and ran back down the hall, taking the stairs two at a time. But there was nowhere to go. Grim-faced Winkies encircled the hall, blocking the door and all other exits. Each one armed with a sharp spear leveled at our motley group.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

A very familiar cackle preceded the sudden appearance of Elphaba, pushing her way through the crowd and eyeing us as if we were her next meal.

A great wave of relief washed through me (she looked all right, if a little crazed), followed instantly by a rush of terror (the time had come).

"Going so soon? I wouldn't hear of it! Why, my little party is just beginning!"

I _almost _laughed. I might have if the situation had been different. Clearly, Elphaba was somewhat enjoying her role as the Wicked Witch - she was being just a bit over-dramatic.

"I-I-I'm not afraid of you!" Dorothy said bravely, shaking where she stood.

"Oh, is that so?" Elphaba took a step closer. "Well, what a coincidence; I'm not afraid of you, either."

And then she looked directly at me. It was only for a very brief moment, but I could tell she was judging if I was _me._ What she found seemed to satisfy her, because her eyes narrowed and she turned away.

"You go away, you W-W-Wicked Witch!" I sputtered, fascinated by how terrified I truly was. Virtually no acting was required for that little display.

She cackled again and lifted her broom to a torch on the wall, dipping it into the flames. "How about a little fire, Scarecrow?"

"No!" Dorothy darted forward as the flames crept closer to me. She seized a pail of water on the floor and tossed it at Elphaba, right as Elphaba came into position over the trapdoor.

The rest went quickly. Elphaba dropped her broom with a very authentic shriek and began to sink into the floor.

"Ohhhhh! You cursed brat! Look what you've done! I'm melting! Melting! Oh, what a world! What a world! Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness? Ohhhhh! Look out! Look out! I'm going. Ohhhhh - Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

She did indeed appear to be melting, and as she slowly disappeared, everyone held their breath.

All was silent for several long moments as we regarded what was left of the Witch - the broom, of course, as well as her hat and cape.

Then-

"She's dead. You killed her," accused the eldest of the Winkies.

Dorothy looked stricken. "I didn't mean to. Really, I didn't. It was just...the fire...and I-"

The Winkie interrupted. "Hail to Dorothy! The Wicked Witch is dead!"

The rest of the soldiers joined in the cheers, and I sighed inside. It was impossible to make people understand. They all thought of Elphaba as one thing - evil.

Dorothy beamed and pointed at Elphaba's unconventional mode of transportation. "The broom! May we have it?"

The head Winkie handed it to her. "Please, and take it with you."

"Oh, thank you so much!" The excited girl turned to us. "Now we can go back to the Wizard and tell him the Wicked Witch is dead!"

The Winkies echoed her. "The Wicked Witch is dead!"

I cast one longing look at the spot where Elphaba had disappeared as we all made our way outside.

_If only they knew..._


	18. Reunited

A/N: And this is it - the final chapter. It has been over two years since I started this story, and quite frankly, about that long since my obsession with Wicked died down. I am proud of myself for finishing this anyways, and am pleased to find that I'm actually proud of the story as well.

As for what I did and didn't write in this chapter, the dialogue with the Wizard is taken entirely from MGM's "The Wizard of Oz." The conversation with Elphaba and Fiyero is my usual mix of musical and my own writing.

Thanks, as always, for your reviews.

* * *

**Reunited**

The celebrations carried us all the way back to the Emerald City - fortunately, a much quicker journey than before due to a carriage generously donated to our cause. There was singing and dancing and merrymaking, but all I could think about was Elphaba. I was sure the plan had worked, but we were still at risk - anyone with half a brain would realize a person could not possibly be allergic to water. Then again, mobs were not known for their brainpower, and I was fairly certain many Ozians did not believe the Witch was even human.

It didn't matter to me anymore. Nothing did but getting back to Kiamo Ko, and Elphaba. What a waste of time to travel all the way to the Wizard to receive some worthless memento. But appearances had to be kept - I wasn't taking any chances.

And thus I found myself marching once more into the marble throne room of the "Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

He seemed surprised to see us. That is, his giant head spoke in an almost puzzled tone.

"**Can I believe my eyes? Why have you come back?"**

Dorothy stepped forward with the broom. "Please, sir. We've done what you told us. We've brought you the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West. We melted her."

The Wizard hesitated. **"Oh - you liquidated her, eh? Very resourceful!"**

Dorothy beamed. "Yes, sir. So we'd like you to keep your promise to us - if you please, sir."

I had a feeling I knew what was coming next - after all, the "Wizard" was no real wizard. Sure enough...

"**Not so fast! Not so fast! I'll have to give the matter a little thought! Go away and come back tomorrow!"**

The little girl's lip quivered. "Tomorrow! Oh, but I want to go home now!"

The Tinman shook his fist at the head. "You've had plenty of time already!"

The Lion voiced his agreement, then cowed as the Wizard spoke again.

"**Do not arouse the wrath of the Great and Powerful Oz! I said come back tomorrow!"**

Dorothy, however, was no longer afraid. "If you were really great and powerful, you'd keep your promises!"

In her anger, she had failed to notice her little dog leave her side, prancing right up to the head itself - or rather, _behind _it. I watched in anticipation as the dog began to tug at the curtain hiding the Wizard from view.

"**Do you presume to criticize the Great Oz? You ungrateful creatures! Think yourselves lucky that I'm giving you an audience tomorrow, instead of twenty years from now!"**

There now seemed to be a tug-of-war going on, with Toto attempting to pull back the curtain and the Wizard doing his best to keep it closed. My companions had noticed and their eyes were on it, too - and the Wizard could no longer hide his distress.

"**Oh! The Great Oz has spoken!"**

The curtain suddenly gave way, and a glimpse of the old man was clearly visible for a moment.

"**Oh! Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain. The Great, Powerful-"**

Abruptly, the voice cut off and the Wizard resignedly stepped into view, finishing his statement in his normal voice. "-has spoken."

There was a moment of total silence as we all stared in amazement.

Then Dorothy cleared her throat. "Who are you?"

He looked at us sadly. "Well, I - I - I am the Great and Powerful - Wizard of Oz."

Busted.

**/**

_Later..._

The road back to Kiamo Ko was a long one, but I moved quickly and didn't stop even once. I knew Elphaba would be waiting for me in the small room under the trapdoor, and I was anxious to let her know that everything was all right. All of Oz believed her to be dead, and they were too busy celebrating to even think about where I had run off to.

Because of my haste, I made good time. Twilight was falling as I crept through the dark forest, careful not to make a sound and to check my surroundings often. If someone saw me and thought I was worth following, everything could be ruined just when it should be safe.

Finally, I reached the castle gate and the courtyard beyond it. Dead leaves skittered across the marble, and I could have sworn I heard something more - the fluttering of wings? There were Monkeys about.

Suppressing a shiver, I glanced once more over my shoulder and ducked inside. The entrance hall was silent and dark; almost like a tomb. Dorothy had taken Elphaba's broom, but her hat and cape lay where they had fallen - no one had dared disturb the Witch's "remains." No doubt my family would never consider living here now that it was likely to become a renowned haunted site.

Ignoring my sudden trepidation - what if something _had _gone wrong, and Elphaba was actually dead? - I moved forward, knelt down, and knocked twice on the hidden trapdoor.

"It worked!"

I needn't have worried. The trapdoor opened immediately and I had to stumble out of the way as Elphaba's head appeared.

"Fiyero?" A grin broke out on her face when she saw me, and she climbed out, kneeling next to me. "I thought you'd never get here!" She quieted, studying my face. One hand reached forward hesitantly.

I took her wrist and pulled it closer. "Go ahead, touch. I don't mind. You did the best you could - you saved my life."

She caressed my cheek for a moment and I closed my eyes, imagining I could feel her fingers on my skin. It would never be good enough.

"You're still beautiful," she whispered, and I opened my eyes and laughed softly.

"You don't have to lie to me."

"It's not lying," she said firmly. "It's - looking at things another way." She glanced at me slyly and we shared a laugh. Then she sobered. "So, what happened?"

"Dorothy went home - Glinda helped her with that. The Wizard went off in his balloon - but not before appointing me the next ruler of Oz."

"You?" Her eyebrows flew up to her hairline. "Really?"

I shrugged casually. "You heard right, but personally I think Glinda'd do a much better job. Oh, and apparently Madame Morrible has been sentenced to a long stay in Southstairs, so that's good."

"And everyone thinks I'm dead?" she asked. When I nodded, she sat back. "It's really over..."

"So - where are we going to go?" I asked, standing.

She copied my motion. "We?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, _we_. I am staying with you."

"It's never going to be a quiet life," Elphaba reminded me. "And the Wizard did offer you his job..."

I smiled. "Politics and power. Everything I hate. Everything I could have had anyway, as crown prince of the Vinkus. I walked away from all that. Elphaba, I made my decision a long time ago. I'm coming with you."

And she finally allowed herself to smile, leaning into my chest.

"I guess we have to leave Oz forever, huh?"

Though it pained me, I nodded. "Yes. But at least we'll be together."

Elphaba nodded. "But Glinda-" Her voice trailed off.

"What is it?" I asked, stepping back so I could look into her face.

She blushed and avoided my gaze. "I just wish - I wish Glinda could know...that we're alive."

I knew how she felt, because I was wishing for the same thing. Our friend was undoubtedly beside herself with grief, and I felt terrible that we had to leave her like that. But we had no choice.

"It's too dangerous," I said gently. "If we want to live in complete safety, no one can ever know. It's better this way - for all three of us."

She nodded. "You're right. Of course you're right." Her shoulders straightened and the vulnerability in her eyes was shaded suddenly, the pain masked.

I took her face in my hands. "Oz, I wish I could help you, Elphaba. I wish I could give you the life you deserve. I wish things were easier. I wish we could be together, _really _together, uninhibited. I wish life was fair!" I didn't realize how high my voice had risen until Elphaba put a finger on my lips and gave me a sad smile.

"Wishing only wounds the heart."

I swallowed the emotions suddenly welling up inside me; grief for what we could never have, tentative hope for what we could, and most of all, love for the selfless woman standing before me.

"_I'm_ the one who doesn't deserve _you_, Fae," I said quietly, holding out my hand. "Come on. It's time to go."

Elphaba looked around once more, drinking in the details of the castle that had been both her prison and her triumph for a short time. Then she stepped forward and slipped her green hand into my gloved one, smiling up at me with unshed tears shining in her eyes.

"We're just runaway ghosts, Fiyero. We no longer exist. And no one will waste time remembering us. Because no one mourns the wicked...and no one loves them." Her voice caught.

I drew her close; whispered in her ear. "_I_ love you. That will never change."

She squeezed my hand and tugged me forward. "And as long as you're mine, that's all I need."

And with that, we disappeared into the night.


End file.
